FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Bahrain

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of progress on the implementation of each recommendation in the report of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry.

Hugh Robertson: The Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry provided 26 recommendations. We assess that the Bahraini Government have made some progress in implementing these recommendations, particularly in the areas of judicial and security sector reform. We welcome the steps already taken and encourage the Bahraini Government to ensure that the remaining recommendations are implemented soon.

Bahrain

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he intends to meet the delegation from Al Wefaq and other National Democratic Opposition parties of Bahrain during its January 2014 visit to the UK.

Hugh Robertson: The Director, Middle East and North Africa Directorate, will meet the delegation from Al Wefaq and the other National Democratic Opposition parties of Bahrain.

British Overseas Territories

Anas Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has (a) written or (b) spoken to the leaders of any of the Overseas Territories to encourage them to create public registries of beneficial company ownership.

Mark Simmonds: The Prime Minister met the leaders from those Overseas Territories with a financial services industry on 15 June 2013 and informed them that the UK was going ahead with a central registry of beneficial ownership.
	Since 28 October 2013 when the Government announced that the UK central registry will be publicly accessible, I, together with the Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, my hon. Friend the Member for South West Hertfordshire (Mr Gauke), met Leaders and representatives from the Overseas Territories at the Joint Ministerial Council in November. The Leaders agreed to launch (or have already launched) consultations on the question of establishing a central registry of beneficial ownership and whether this information should be publicly available. The Cayman Islands and the British Virgin Islands have already published their consultations and the other Territories are expected to launch theirs shortly.
	Over recent months the Territories have made unprecedented progress on the tax and transparency agenda and we will continue to work with them to tackle the global challenges of corporate secrecy.

Burma

Naomi Long: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government have taken to ensure that Burmese army soldiers committing acts of sexual violence in conflict are held accountable for their crimes.

Hugo Swire: We regularly lobby the Burmese Government on the rights of women, particularly on preventing sexual violence in conflict areas. We continue to make clear that where serious crimes have been committed, those who have perpetrated them should be held accountable for their actions. During his visit to the UK last year, President Thein Sein welcomed the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), initiative on preventing sexual violence in conflict (PSVI). We continue to encourage Burma to join 138 nations and endorse the declaration on PSVI.
	More specifically, the focus of our defence engagement in Burma is adherence to the core principles of democratic accountability, international law and human rights. We have used initial discussions to encourage the Burmese military to step back from politics, address issues such as the use of child soldiers, and take firm and decisive action to tackle sexual violence in conflict areas.

Burma

Naomi Long: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the firing on civilians by the Burmese army at Nam Lin Pa internally displaced person camp in Kachin state when they attacked it in November 2013.

Hugo Swire: We were deeply concerned by the fighting in the vicinity of Nam Lin Pa during November 2013 which led to the displacement of many people. In November, while welcoming the UN resolution on human rights in Burma, I expressed concern at the situation in Kachin state. My statement is available online at:
	www.gov.uk/government/news/fco-minister-welcomes-un-resolution-on-human-rights-in-burma
	Our ambassador raised specific concerns about Nam Lin Pa during his meeting with the Burmese army’s northern commander in December, and urged restraint and an end to the violence. He also specifically called for immediate and unrestricted humanitarian access to those affected in the area, including those displaced from Nam Lin Pa.

Central African Republic

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the impact of the recent mass emigration from the Central African Republic on stability in that country and the wider region.

Mark Simmonds: The appalling and deteriorating situation in the Central African Republic (CAR) is largely confined within its borders but it has had an impact on its neighbours through refugee flows and cross-border violence. The return of a constitutional and effective Government is vital for the long-term stability of CAR and is in the best interests of the region as a whole, and together with regional and international partners, we continue to monitor the situation closely. The UK has already contributed £15 million to humanitarian efforts in-country, and we continue to support international organisations such as the WFP and UNHCR who are assisting refugees in the region.

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on how many occasions (a) his special advisers or (b) officials in his private office have met senior staff of the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy; and what was discussed on each such occasion.

David Lidington: Special Advisers and officials in the private office of the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), accompany the Secretary of State to meetings regularly, including the Foreign Affairs Council, and have met senior staff of the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. Discussions in these meetings have covered a wide range of EU issues.

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on how many occasions he has met the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy; and what was discussed on each such occasion.

David Lidington: The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), has met the High Representative on many occasions. They meet regularly at international meetings, including the Foreign Affairs Council, which meets most months. They met most recently at the Foreign Affairs Council on 16 December at which Iran, the Southern Neighbourhood, the Middle East Peace Process, Russia, the Central African Republic and Burma were discussed.

Iran

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he has taken to open discussions with Iran on releasing prisoners of conscience and those jailed for promoting Christianity.

Hugh Robertson: The Foreign Secretary raised Iran's appalling human rights record with his new Iranian counterpart, Foreign Minister Zarif, when they met in September. The appointment of a non-resident chargé d'affaires gives us a channel for more detailed and regular discussions with Iran, including on human rights issues. The UK will continue to press Iran to end human rights abuses perpetrated against all religious minorities, including Christians.

Iran

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will discuss with his P5+1 counterparts the involvement of Saudi Arabia in future discussions of Iran’s nuclear programme.

Hugh Robertson: Countries in the region, like Saudi Arabia, naturally have an interest in developments concerning Iran’s nuclear programme, and we engage regularly with them on this issue and will continue to do so. There is, however, no feasible mechanism for including regional countries formally in the process.

Israel

Tessa Jowell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  if he will make urgent representations to the Israeli authorities concerning the conditions under which Palestinian children are arrested and detained within the first 24 hours of their arrest;
	(2)  what representations he has made to the Israeli authorities about the 40 recommendations made in the report, “Children in Military Custody”, published in June 2012;
	(3)  what steps the Government have taken to ensure that specific legal duties and obligations under article 1 of the Fourth Geneva convention, to respect and to ensure respect for the convention in all circumstances, are being honoured in relation to the detention of children in military custody in the occupied territories.

Hugh Robertson: We regularly urge the Israeli authorities to act in accordance with international law, including their legal obligations under the Fourth Geneva convention, and to adopt recommendations of the report—including recommendations relating to the first 24 hours of arrest and detention such as not making arrests at night, informing parents of a child’s arrest in Arabic, ending shackling, allowing a parent or lawyer to accompany the child on arrest and audio-visual recording of interviews —and will continue to do so. Our ambassador to Tel Aviv discussed the issue and recommendations with the Israeli Attorney-General, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Justice on 31 December. The UK also raised this issue at Israel’s Universal Periodic Review session at the UN Human Rights Council on 29 October.

Mauritania

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of recent reports of human rights abuses in Mauritania.

Hugh Robertson: The UK remains concerned about human rights in Mauritania, and in particular about the prevalence of practices resembling slavery—despite their illegality—as well as freedom of speech and discrimination. I am, however, encouraged by the Mauritanian Government's recent decision to establish a tribunal to eradicate the practice of slavery and the UK fully supports these efforts. Our nascent dialogue with the country is developing, bolstered by the visit of the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), in 2011 and the visit of the then Minister of State for North Africa, my right hon. Friend the Member for North East Bedfordshire (Alistair Burt), in 2013. The UK continues to look for opportunities to encourage reform on these critical matters.

Procurement

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many staff of each grade in his Department have the authority to make a purchase; what proportion of those staff have professional procurement qualifications; and what the key indicators used to assess procurement officers' performance are.

David Lidington: All Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) procurement is subject to systems and controls to ensure value for money is delivered, including separating budgetary and procurement authority and ensuring budgetary approval is provided before a procurement commences.
	Any procurement over £80,000 is managed or overseen by the Operations Team of the Corporate Procurement Group and each officer within that team has their own delegated procurement authority, the maximum level being dependent on the officer's grade. The procurements they manage are subject to additional governance and scrutiny starting at the Business Case stage before procurement commences. Dependent on the value of the procurement approval may be subject to additional internal approval and oversight from our Operations Committee and Management Board or external approval from the Cabinet Office and HM Treasury in line with spending controls. For purchasing valued under £80,000 the FCO delegates authority up to fixed sums against each grade of staff in the FCO structure.
	All FCO staff have objectives and personal development plans agreed with their managers and aligned with the current FCO Competency Framework. FCO staff who are dedicated to purchasing will have objectives reflecting this work.

Rwanda

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will work with UN Security Council members and the UK's allies in the Southern African Development Community to ensure a resolution is passed to mandate a neutralisation of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda and the Hutu militia group.

Mark Simmonds: UN resolution 2098 mandates UN peacekeeping force MONUSCO, including through its Intervention Brigade, to neutralise all armed groups active in DRC, including the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda. It is important to note that protection of civilians remains the main objective of the mission, and any consideration of military action is within this context.

South Sudan

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on the conflict in South Sudan.

Mark Simmonds: I am deeply concerned about the widespread violence in South Sudan. There are extensive reports of human rights abuses and killings, many of them ethnically targeted. Fierce fighting is continuing in a number of areas. Over 400,000 people have fled their homes. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague) has spoken to President Kiir and former Vice-President Machar to urge them to agree an immediate cessation of hostilities, ensure unfettered humanitarian access to those in need, and—in the case of President Kiir—to release political detainees. I have also spoken to a number of regional leaders. We are coordinating closely with the US and Norway as our partners in the Troika, and with the EU, in support of the talks led by regional leaders through the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development.

South Sudan

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on (a) the intervention of US Special Envoy Donald Booth in South Sudan and (b) current preparations for ceasefire negotiations between the South Sudanese Government and rebel forces.

Mark Simmonds: The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), has sent a senior diplomat to engage with the parties to the conflict and support the mediation process led by the International Authority on Development (IGAD). He and other British officials are co-ordinating closely with US Special Envoy Booth, as well as with the Norwegian and EU envoys. We share the common goal of ensuring the talks achieve a cessation of hostilities as soon as possible. A proposal for a ceasefire agreement, including independent monitoring and verification, is under discussion by the parties. We will continue to work closely with Troika partners to urge both parties to fully commit to a cessation of hostilities, and to offer our full support to the IGAD team.

Sudan

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations the UK has made to the Government of Sudan on ending its policies that remove Christian missionaries and persecute those who convert to Christianity from Islam.

Mark Simmonds: We regularly press the Sudanese Government to respect freedom of religion for all their citizens, and raise this both bilaterally and in relevant multilateral organisations. We have raised specific incidences of restrictions on religious freedom, including our concerns at the expulsion of foreign nationals connected to Christian groups. We are encouraging the Government to embark on a process of political reform, including adoption of an inclusive constitution that respects freedom of religion and other human rights. Urging a greater respect of human rights was a core objective in my recent visit to Sudan.

Thailand

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what legal assistance his Department is providing to Andy Hall who has been accused of criminal defamation in Thailand.

Hugo Swire: We are aware of Mr Hall's case and are in regular touch with him. As set out in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's (FCO) consular guidance, we provide general information about local police and legal procedures, but we cannot provide legal assistance or advice to British nationals. Officials at the British embassy in Bangkok have met with Mr Hall to listen to his concerns and advise him of the consular assistance we can offer.
	Information about the consular services the FCO provides can be found at the following link:
	www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment _data/file/35519/support-for-british-nationaIs-abroad.pdf

Thailand

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what EU mechanisms for supporting human rights defenders are being applied in the case of Andy Hall.

Hugo Swire: Officials at the British embassy in Bangkok and in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) in London are aware of Mr Hall's case and have been in regular touch with him since March 2013.
	During my visit to Thailand in May 2013, I raised Mr Hall's case with Thailand's Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs, Jullapong Nonsrichai. British embassy staff have also raised the importance of Mr Hall receiving an independent trial with officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

Criminal Investigation: International Co-operation

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General whether decisions by the Serious Fraud Office to comply with requests from overseas jurisdictions for mutual legal assistance are subject to a binding assessment of whether they comply with the Human Rights Act 1998.

Oliver Heald: The decision to accept a request for mutual legal assistance is one for the UK Central Authority in the Home Office taking into account all applicable domestic and international law obligations (including human rights obligations) and any wider policy issues which may apply. If a request is accepted by UKCA it may be formally referred to the SFO for execution. Both the Home Office and the SFO are public bodies for the purpose of the Human Rights Act.

EU Law

John Redwood: To ask the Attorney-General how many EU directives the Law Officers' Departments have transposed into UK law since 2010; and how many directly acting EU regulations have come into effect in his Department's area of responsibility in the same period.

Oliver Heald: None; the Law Officers' Departments have no responsibilities for any EU directives or regulations.

LIBOR

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General what recent discussions the Serious Fraud Office has had with its US counterparts about co-ordinating their investigations into Libor manipulation.

Oliver Heald: The SFO and US Department of Justice liaise regularly in relation to Libor. It is not SFO's policy to comment on current investigations.

Missing Persons: United Arab Emirates

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General what recent representations (a) he and (b) the Director of the Serious Fraud Office have received on the safety and whereabouts of Abbas Yazdi.

Oliver Heald: Any issue as to the safety and whereabouts of British citizens abroad are primarily a matter for the FCO. It would not be appropriate to make public any representations that may have been made.

Missing Persons: United Arab Emirates

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General what recent discussions he has had with (a) the Secretary of State for the Home Department, (b) the Director of the Serious Fraud Office and (c) the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on the disappearance of Abbas Yazdi.

Oliver Heald: The Attorney-General and I have regular meetings with ministerial colleagues and the Director of the Serious Fraud Office to discuss a variety of issues. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's policy to provide details of all such meetings.

TREASURY

Building Societies

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to increase the provision of current accounts and credit cards through building societies.

Sajid Javid: Decisions about whether to offer current accounts or credit cards remain commercial decisions for building societies. Societies traditionally focus on providing vital mortgage and savings services.
	However, several building societies already offer current accounts and credit cards. A key task of the new Payments Systems Regulator for which the Government have legislated in the Banking Reform Act, will be to ensure new entrants can access the payments systems on fair and transparent terms. A key benefit of this will be to make it easier for new firms, including building societies, to enter the current account market.

Building Societies and Credit Unions

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he has taken to encourage the development of building societies and credit unions as a method of increasing competition within the retail banking sector.

Sajid Javid: The Government committed in the coalition agreement to promote building societies and credit unions and foster diversity in financial services.
	This has led to significant action. For instance the Government are making a £38 million investment in credit unions over the next three years, alongside increasing the maximum interest rate from 2% to 3% per month. The aim is to support the credit union sector to modernise and provide sustainable financial services for up to 1 million additional people.
	The Government have also legislated via the Banking Reform Act to carve out the entire building society sector from ring-fencing requirements, as well as taking steps to modernise building societies legislation to help them compete on a more level playing field with banks.

Chiefs of Staff

David Davis: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what dates he met the Chief of the Defence Staff between 11 May 2010 and 31 May 2011.

Danny Alexander: Treasury Ministers and officials receive a wide variety of representations from organisations in both the public and private sectors.
	Details of ministerial and permanent secretary meetings with external organisations on departmental business are published on a quarterly basis and are available at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/minister_hospitality.htm

Companies: British Overseas Territories

Anas Sarwar: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what advice his Department has given to the Overseas Territories on public registers of beneficial ownership.

David Gauke: We are working closely with the Overseas Territories on beneficial ownership. The issue was discussed at the Joint Ministerial Council on 26 November where I explained why the UK firmly believes that a public registry of company beneficial ownership provides the best outcome for sound corporate behaviour; more effective law and tax enforcement; and helping authorities prevent misuse of companies for illicit purposes. We will continue to work with them as we implement our action plans and further develop policy.

Legal Costs

Christopher Leslie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the estimated cost to his Department is of (a) internal counsel and legal cost and (b) external counsel and legal costs in the matter of the legal challenge to the remuneration provisions of the EU capital requirements legislation.

Nicky Morgan: The Government launched a legal challenge to the bonus cap and related provisions in the EU capital requirements directive 4, and capital requirements regulation in September 2013. Costs are expected to be in line with the information presented in the House of Commons EU Scrutiny Committee report (HC671) “Subsidiarity—monitoring by national parliaments: challenging a measure before the EU Court of Justice”, in September 2013.

Minimum Wage

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many employers have been (a) recorded by HM Revenue and Customs, (b) prosecuted and (c) convicted for failure to pay eligible employees the national minimum wage in each of the last three years.

David Gauke: The Government take the enforcement of NMW very seriously and HMRC enforces the national minimum wage legislation on behalf of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) and has done so since the introduction of NMW in April 1999. It does that by investigating all complaints made about employers suspected of not paying the minimum wage, in addition carrying out targeted enforcement where it identifies a high risk of non-payment of NMW.
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Islington South and Finsbury (Emily Thornberry) on 23 Apr 2013, Official Report, column 814W, for details of the number of non-compliant employers for the period requested.
	I further refer the hon. Member to my answer to the right hon. Member for Tottenham (Mr Lammy) on 8 October 2013, Official Report, column 152W, with regard to prosecutions. There have been two successful criminal prosecutions pursued in the last four years, both under this Government.

Tax Allowances: Cultural Heritage

Harriet Harman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the (a) number and (b) value of tax exempt heritage assets in Scotland.

David Gauke: Information about the number of tax exempt heritage assets in Scotland is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	Information about values of assets qualifying for conditional exemption are not recorded because there is no operational reason to do so.

Tax Allowances: Pensions

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the distributional effects of tax relief on pension contributions;
	(2)  what proportion of total tax relief on pension contributions is attributable to contributions to (a) defined benefit schemes and (b) defined contribution schemes;
	(3)  what assessment he has made of the effect of the annual allowance for pension contributions on (a) defined contribution schemes and (b) defined benefit schemes.

David Gauke: Tax relief on pension contributions is given at an individual's marginal tax rate as the primary incentive through which the Government encourage pension savings. In 2011-12 an estimated £34.9 billion of tax relief was provided on contributions to approved pensions schemes:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/statistics/pension-stats/pen6.pdf
	It has been estimated that around one third of this relief goes to Basic Rate taxpayers; the remainder to Higher and Additional Rate taxpayers.
	HMRC publishes statistics on contributions to personal pensions at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/statistics/pension-stats.htm
	However, robust estimates of the proportion of relief which is attributable to contributions to defined benefit and defined contribution schemes are not available.
	The annual allowance limits the total amount of tax relief that an individual may receive on their pension savings in any single year (subject to the provision of three years carry forward). The rules that are used to test contributions against the allowance have been designed to ensure fairness between those contributing into defined benefit and defined contribution schemes. HMRC does not have an assessment of the effect of the annual allowance depending on the scheme type.

Taxation: Crown Dependencies

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much he expects the International Tax Compliance Regulations 2013 to raise from each of the individual Crown Dependencies in (a) Guernsey, (b) Jersey, (c) Isle of Man and (d) Gibraltar in (i) 2013-14, (ii) 2014-15, (iii) 2015-16, (iv) 2016-17 and (v) 2017-18.

David Gauke: As published at autumn statement 2013, the yield from the Crown Dependencies agreements and the disclosure facilities is forecast to be over £1 billion over the next five years.

Thames Garden Bridge

Mary Creagh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the (a) capital and (b) revenue costs of the proposed Garden Bridge in London; and if he will provide a breakdown of those costs.

Danny Alexander: The Government have committed to provide £30 million towards the cost of the Garden Bridge. This is conditional on a business case demonstrating that the project represents good value for money. Transport for London will match this £30 million contribution.
	The remaining funding will be secured through private sources by the Garden Bridge Trust.

Thames Garden Bridge

Mary Creagh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what public funding has been allocated to the proposed Garden Bridge project in London; and how much private funding has been secured for that purpose.

Danny Alexander: The Government have committed to provide £30 million towards the cost of the Garden Bridge. This is conditional on a business case demonstrating that the project represents good value for money. Transport for London will match this £30 million contribution.
	The Garden Bridge Trust is responsible for securing the necessary private funding for the scheme.

Tonnage Tax

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much corporation tax was paid each year for the last five years under the tonnage system by UK-based shipping companies.

David Gauke: The following table shows estimated tax liabilities due to tonnage tax for each year from 2007 to 2011 (the latest year for which full data are currently available):
	
		
			 Calendar year Tax liabilities rounded (£ million) 
			 2007 4.3 
			 2008 4.4 
			 2009 4.6 
			 2010 4.6 
			 2011 4.4

VAT: Exports

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the role the VAT Retail Export scheme plays in attracting tourists to the UK.

David Gauke: HMRC carried out a formal consultation on the VAT Retail Export Scheme between 1 July and 30 September 2013. Many respondents felt that tax free shopping makes a positive contribution to making the UK an attractive destination for shopping and promotes the retail sector. There is more information in the Summary of Responses to the consultation at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/vat-retail-export-scheme

TRANSPORT

Bank Services

Christopher Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport with what bank his Department's bank overdraft is held; and what fees and charges were payable on the core Department's bank overdraft in the last financial year.

Stephen Hammond: Unless there is a commercial reason, the Department for Transport's banking is done through the Government Banking Service (GBS), the banking shared service provider to government and the wider public sector.
	GBS bank accounts do not have a standard overdraft facility and the Department is governed by HM Treasury's publication "Managing Public Money". This explains how to handle public funds with probity and in the public interest.
	Guidance at Annex 5.6 provides the following:
	A5.6.6 As a matter of good financial management, public sector organisations should never go overdrawn. Exchequer costs rise if unplanned large payments are not forecast in advance. So overdrafts will normally bear penalty interest at current base rate plus 2%.
	Overdraft fees for the last financial year were zero.

Buildings

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which buildings occupied by his Department are owned or part-owned privately; what the total value is of the rent paid to private landlords for the use of such buildings for official duties; and to whom such rent is paid.

Stephen Hammond: As part of the Government's transparency agenda information about Department for Transport properties is published on the data.gov.uk website. Information on the properties owned and leased by the Department, as well as total property costs, is available via the following weblink:
	http://data.gov.uk/dataset/epims
	The specific information requested on rental payments is not centrally recorded and could be provided only at disproportionate costs.

Driving: Licensing

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he plans to introduce legislative proposals to implement EU Directive 2012/36/EU.

Stephen Hammond: We shall be introducing legislative proposals to implement EU Directive 2012/36/EU before spring 2014.

Driving: Young People

David Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps his Department is taking to reduce the cost of car insurance for young drivers.

Robert Goodwill: The setting of premiums is a commercial decision for individual insurers based on their underwriting experience. The Government are concerned about the increase in insurance costs.
	The Government are considering how to improve the way people learn to drive and are tested; to improve the road safety education of young people; and to provide opportunities for additional training for newly-qualified drivers.
	Young drivers continue to be some of the most “at risk” road users and are seeing some of the highest premiums. However, we have noted that in recent months all insurance premiums, including those for young drivers, appear to be falling. We are looking at ways to improve safety and thus drive down the costs of their insurance.

Driving: Young People

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 18 December 2013, Official Report, column 629W, on driving: young people, what his timetable is for consideration of the issue of young driver safety.

David Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when his Department plans to publish the Green Paper on young driver safety.

Robert Goodwill: At present, there is no timetable for issuing the Green Paper on the safety of young drivers. It is vital that the Government strike the right balance so that young drivers remain safe on our roads but at the same time their freedom is not restricted. We feel that it is important that all views are considered and the right decision is made. We will issue a paper when we have considered this further.

Motor Vehicles: Registration

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many prosecutions have been undertaken by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency against owners of foreign-registered vehicles that have remained in the UK beyond registration deadline in the last year.

Stephen Hammond: The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency has not taken forward any prosecutions against owners of foreign-registered vehicles that have remained in the UK beyond the six-month exemption period in the last year.

Motorways

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to implement recommendation 10 of the preliminary report of the Review of Investigation and Closure Procedures for Motorway Incidents, published in May 2011.

Robert Goodwill: In April 2013, a Performance Specification for the Highways Agency was introduced in which specific outputs for Incident Management are set out. This includes the expectation to reduce the overall mean duration of incidents on motorways compared to 2012-13. The Highways Agency produces detailed performance data by geographic region and by route to assess the performance of its incident management operations. This is then monitored regularly by officials in the Department for Transport.

Motorways

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of three-dimensional laser scanning technology in reducing motorway closure times; and if he will provide further roll-out to police forces subsequent to the funding awards made in December 2011.

Robert Goodwill: Monitoring of laser scanner use by police forces shows a time saving of over 40 minutes. Police forces have been challenged recently by Ministers to use scanners more and we will consider further funding awards in due course.

Offshore Industry

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 2 December 2013, Official Report, column 506W, on offshore industry, for what reasons the (a) Eurocopter AS332 Super Puma Mk 1 and (b) Eurocopter EC225 Super Puma models do not feature in the table provided; and if he will provide the information requested in relation to these helicopter models.

Robert Goodwill: The table published on 2 December sets out that there are 21 Eurocopter AS332 Super Puma (Mk 1) helicopters operated from Aberdeen. The table also sets out that there are 20 AS332 Super Puma (Mk II) helicopters operated from Aberdeen. A transcription error in the description of the Super Puma Mk IIs incorrectly attributed a Eurocopter type AS332, which should be replaced with type EC225.

Railway Network

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what improvements to the UK rail network are required by the Trans-European Conventional Rail Network.

Robert Goodwill: The new TEN-T regulation has a dual layer network from 2014: a Comprehensive Network (defined by member states), providing connectivity into a more focused Core Network (defined by the Commission) which brings together routes, nodes and hubs of strategic importance for transport flows within the internal market and between the EU and its neighbours. There is no Conventional Network.
	The regulation has four main standards which the Commission sees as key to delivering interoperability and better modal integration for the rail network:
	full electrification of the TEN-T Network;
	deployment of the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS);
	the ability to accommodate 740 m freight trains on Core Network freight lines; and
	core ports and airports identified in the TEN-T regulation to be linked to the TEN-T rail network by 2030 and 2050 respectively.
	We believe that the final compromise text contains sufficient flexibility in relation to technical standards, infrastructure developments and deadlines by recognising the need to take account of member states' finances and to consider the economic viability of projects.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Electricity Generation

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what comparative assessment he has made of outage times and percentages for large efficient electricity-generating plant in the UK and similar plant (a) in Hong Kong and (b) internationally.

Michael Fallon: The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, the right hon. Member for Kingston and Surbiton (Mr Davey) has made no such comparative assessment.

Electricity Generation

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he is taking to ensure that the most efficient plants are operating for a best-in-class proportion of time by international standards; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Fallon: It is for power station operators to schedule the running of their plant, as they are incentivised through the market to maintain efficient operations.

Energy: Industry

Tom Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the number of jobs that will be created in the UK supply chain for the energy industry as a result of the provisions of the Energy Act 2013.

Michael Fallon: The Electricity Market Reform programme, which is implemented through provisions in the Energy Act 2013, could support up to a quarter of a million jobs by 2020 in the UK directly and through supply chains. The Department has not made an assessment of the split between jobs supported directly and through the supply chain.
	Electricity market reform is already having an impact on investment and therefore employment. In October 2013 the key terms of an investment contract were agreed for Hinkley Point C, paving the way for construction of the first new UK nuclear power station in a generation. There has been a high level of interest in the Final Investment Decision Enabling for Renewables process and DECC has sent draft investment contracts to the 16 projects progressing in this process.

Fracking

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the research conducted by the University of Missouri School of Medicine into the release of endocrine-disrupting chemicals from fracking drilling in the US and its relevance for the regulation of the hydraulic fracturing of shale gas reserves in the UK.

Michael Fallon: Public Health England will consider the University of Missouri School of Medicine's research as part of its review of the potential public health impacts of exposures to chemical land radioactive pollutants as a result of shale gas extraction. Public Health England's final report is due to be published in the summer of this year.
	Operators will not be able to use chemicals for well stimulation unless the Environment Agency considers them acceptable for use. Any substances, including endocrine disruptors that are sufficiently persistent, bio-accumulative and toxic would be defined as hazardous. The Environment Agency will not permit the use of substances that are hazardous to groundwater in hydraulic fracturing, where there is a risk that these will, or might enter groundwater. The chemicals proposed for use will be listed in the operator's waste management plan, which will be publicly available.

Fracking

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the evidential basis is of the Prime Minister's statement on 13 January 2014 that the UK has the strongest environmental controls over the hydraulic fracturing of shale gas.

Michael Fallon: The Royal Society and the Royal Academy of Engineering's report “Shale Gas Extraction in the UK: a review of hydraulic fracturing”, published in June 2012 concluded that environmental (and health and safety) risks associated with hydraulic fracturing could be managed effectively in the UK
	“as long as operational best practices are implemented and enforced through regulation”.
	They also commended the UK's goal-based approach which fosters innovation and continuous improvement to risk management.
	The UK has over 50 years of experience of regulating the onshore oil and gas industry nationally, and the Health and Safety Executive and UK environmental regulators are widely recognised as excellent organisations. We have a strong regulatory regime for exploratory activities and we will look continuously to improve it as the industry develops.

Warm Home Discount Scheme: Coventry

Bob Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many households in (a) Coventry and (b) Coventry North East constituency have received assistance from the warm home discount scheme.

Gregory Barker: Regional or constituency data are not available for the number of people applying for or receiving assistance under the warm home discount.
	In 2012-13, an overall total of 1,157,879 pensioners received a core group rebate of £130 under the warm home discount scheme across Great Britain.
	In addition to the core group rebates in 2012-13, 489,494 low income and vulnerable households received a £130 rebate by applying to their energy supplier under the broader group.
	Furthermore, 966,823 customers received bill support under the legacy spending elements of the scheme.
	A full annual report on the operation of warm home discount in 2012-13 has been published by Ofgem and is available at:
	https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications-and-updates/warm-home-discount-annual-report-scheme-year-2

LEADER OF THE HOUSE

Bank Services

Christopher Leslie: To ask the Leader of the House with what bank his Office's bank overdraft is held; and what fees and charges were payable on the core Department's bank overdraft in the last financial year.

Andrew Lansley: The Office of the Leader of the House of Commons is part of the Cabinet Office. All core Departments bank with the Government Banking Service (GBS). This ensures that balances held in these accounts are held within the Exchequer at the Bank of England. The GBS does not offer overdraft facilities.

Training

Christopher Leslie: To ask the Leader of the House which Ministers in his Office have undertaken training courses; and in the case of each such course what the (a) name of the course provider was, (b) purpose of the course was and (c) cost of each session in the course was.

Andrew Lansley: The Office of the Leader of the House of Commons is part of the Cabinet Office. Our answer will be included in the response by the Minister for the Cabinet Office, shortly.

WALES

Bank Services

Christopher Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales with what bank his Department's bank overdraft is held; and what fees and charges were payable on the core Department's bank overdraft in the last financial year.

Stephen Crabb: All core Departments bank with the Government Banking Service (GBS). This ensures that balances held in these accounts are held within the Exchequer at the Bank of England. The GBS does not offer overdraft facilities.

Training

Christopher Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales which Ministers in his Department have undertaken training courses; and in the case of each such course what the (a) name of the course provider was, (b) purpose of the course was and (c) cost of each session in the course was.

Stephen Crabb: The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales has undertaken Welsh language tuition since November 2012. The tuition is provided by City Lit, and its cost forms part of a broader package of Welsh language tuition provided to Wales Office Ministers and staff. These costs are not itemised by individual.

Work Experience

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many people aged (a) 16 and under and (b) over 16 years old undertook work experience in his Department in each of the last three years.

Stephen Crabb: In 2011, two people over 16 years old undertook work experience in the Wales Office. No work experience was undertaken in 2012 or 2013.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Agriculture: Subsidies

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the effect of the Common Agricultural Payment compulsory standard for the single farm payment on flood risks.

George Eustice: Farmers applying for payments under the common agricultural policy are required to meet certain rules under cross-compliance. Assessment of flood risk does not form part of the general considerations for setting these rules. However, rules covering soil issues such as run-off and compaction do contain measures which can contribute towards reducing flood risk.

Bovine Tuberculosis: South West

Angela Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he expects to publish the Independent Expert Panel report on the recent pilot badger culls in Somerset and Gloucestershire.

George Eustice: The Independent Expert Panel continues to consider the results of the pilots and prepare its report. As an independent body the timing of its report's completion and submission to Ministers is ultimately a matter for the panel.

Floods: Yorkshire and the Humber

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the Humber Flood Risk Management Strategy and its ability to better protect local communities from flooding in the future.

Dan Rogerson: The Environment Agency is currently reviewing and updating the Humber Flood Risk Management Strategy with the six local authorities in the area: Hull, East Riding, North and North East Lincolnshire, Lincolnshire, East Lindsey. The update will ensure that learning from the recent and historic flood events, as well as the effects of climate change, and potential future impacts of flooding on communities are considered.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Animal Experiments

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance her Department issues to medical establishments who use horses on the regulation and disposal of carcasses.

Norman Baker: holding answer 14 January 2014
	The release of all animals from the controls of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 is given in section 17A and standard condition 24 of the project licence. The Act states that:
	(3) The Secretary of State must not consent to the setting free or re-homing of a relevant protected animal unless satisfied
	(a) that the animal's state of health allows it to be set free or re-homed;
	(b) that the setting free or re-homing of the animal poses no danger to public health, animal health or the environment;
	(c) that there is an adequate scheme in place for ensuring the socialisation of the animal upon being set free or re-homed; and
	(d) that other appropriate measures have been taken to safeguard the animal's wellbeing upon being set free or re-homed.
	Our advice to establishments is that they need to comply with all relevant legislation, which includes that administered by the Food Standards Agency, the Department for Food, Environment and Rural Affairs and the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency.

Animal Experiments

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many medical research establishments in the UK are licensed to use horses in procedures.

Norman Baker: holding answer 14 January 2014
	There are approximately 20 establishments licensed to hold horses for regulated procedures. Not all of these carry out such work on a regular basis. During 2012 there were 11 licensed establishments that used horses or other equids in scientific procedures.

Bovine Tuberculosis

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost to the public purse has been of policing the badger cull for the (a) original six-week period and (b) extension period in (i) Gloucestershire and (ii) Somerset.

Damian Green: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 14 January 2014, Official Report, column 462W.

Cannabis

Roger Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will bring forward legislative proposals to make over-the-counter retail sales of cannabis seed illegal; and if she will make a statement.

Norman Baker: holding answer 9 July 2013
	There are no current plans to bring the seeds of the cannabis plant under the control of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.
	They do not contain tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main psychoactive ingredient in cannabis. The Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 makes the unauthorised cultivation of cannabis, for whatever purpose, a criminal offence punishable with up to 14 years in prison and an unlimited fine. Any attempt therefore to germinate cannabis seeds is illegal. It is also an offence to incite a person to cultivate cannabis.
	We do not condone the use, supply or cultivation of cannabis and have an open dialogue with law enforcement and other partners to ensure our legislative framework is robust.

Corruption

Anas Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when her Department plans to complete and publish the national anti-corruption action plan.

James Brokenshire: The UK Government will, for the first time, bring together all of the UK's anti-corruption efforts under one cross-departmental anti-corruption plan. We aim to complete the plan by the summer.

Crime: Havering

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of recent trends in the level of crime in the London borough of Havering.

Norman Baker: The Home Office collects data on offences recorded by police at Community Safety Partnership (CSP) level. The table provided shows the total number of offences (excluding fraud) recorded in the Havering CSP in each of the last five years.
	
		
			 Total offences in Havering CSP (excluding fraud offences), last five years to June 
			 Year to Number 
			 June 2009 16,551 
			 June 2010 16,477 
			 June 2011 16,767 
			 June 2012 16,140 
		
	
	
		
			 June 2013 15,494 
			 Note: For the year ending June 2013 figures, ONS published headline national crime figures that include centralised (Action Fraud) recording of fraud and a separate series which excluded fraud. Due to the staggered move of recording fraud offences by forces to Action Fraud, the figure excludes fraud offences to allow for consistent comparisons.

Driving Offences

Karl McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many non-UK registered vehicles were found to be on UK roads illegally because (a) the driver was not insured, (b) the vehicle lacked a valid tax disc and (c) the vehicle lacked a valid MOT by (i) county and (ii) police force area in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Norman Baker: holding answer 14 January 2014
	The Home Office does not collect this information.

Drugs: Misuse

Mike Wood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she is taking in response to the UN Secretary General's call for member states to conduct a wide-ranging and open debate that considers all options on drugs policy.

Norman Baker: The UK coalition Government is committed to working with the international community, including through the UN and EU, to address the significant harms drugs cause to individuals, families and communities.
	The March 2014 UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs will be an important forum for the debate on how the international community can work together to ensure the global approach to drugs is as effective as it can be. We will continue to advocate a balanced and evidence-based international response that combines effective enforcement to restrict the supply of drugs with efforts to reduce demand and build recovery.
	We are building on the commitment in the 2010 Drug Strategy to “review new evidence on what works in other countries and what we can learn from it” by undertaking a study that will gather evidence on best practice in other countries.
	As part of the study, the former Minister for Crime Prevention, Jeremy Browne MP, visited Portugal, Denmark, Sweden, South Korea, Japan, USA and Canada. I visited the Czech Republic and officials went to Switzerland in December last year and we plan to hold a video conference with New Zealand in the near future.

Immigrants: Detainees

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many individuals are currently held in prisons solely on immigration grounds.

Mark Harper: holding answer 11 December 2013
	For the week commencing 2 December 2013, there were 957 immigration detainees held in prisons.

Primates: Imports

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many non-human primates by (a) species and (b) country of origin were imported into the UK for the purposes of scientific research in each month of (i) 2012 and (ii) 2013; and how many such non-human primates in each category were (A) wild-caught, (B) F1 generation and (C) captive-bred. [Official Report, 29 January 2014, Vol. 574, c. 3-6MC.]

Norman Baker: During 2012, a total of 1,367 non-human primates were imported into the UK for use in regulated procedures. This number comprised 38 rhesus macaques bred in China and 1,329 cynomolgus macaques bred in China, Vietnam and Mauritius. All 1,367 animals were captive-bred including 676 which were F1 generation (the offspring, bred in captivity, of at least one wild-caught parent). No wild-caught animals were imported from any source. These figures, by month, are summarised in the following table.
	Since 1 January 2013, when the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (the Act) was amended to transpose European Directive 2010/63/EU on the protection of animals used for scientific purposes, there has been no requirement to notify the Home Office of the acquisition from overseas breeding centres of non-human primates for use in regulated procedures. Hence we do not hold any information relating to the numbers of such imports for 2013.
	Nevertheless, the Act requires that non-human primates used in procedures must have been bred for that purpose unless an exemption has been granted to use animals taken from the wild. No such exemption was granted during 2013 and therefore all those imported must have been captive bred for use in procedures.
	
		
			 Number of non-human primates imported into the UK for use in regulated procedures by species, country of origin, month of year and captive-bred status 
			 Species Country of origin No. of animals Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Total 
			 Rhesus macaque China Wild-caught 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			   F1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			   Total Captive-bred 42 0 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 30 0 80 
			                 
			 Cynomolgus macaque China Wild-caught 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			   F1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
		
	
	
		
			   Total Captive-bred 0 0 0 0 0 43 26 0 0 0 0 0 69 
			                 
			  Mauritius Wild-caught 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			   F1 135 0 58 39 82 38 0 145 83 52 87 92 811 
			   Total Captive-bred 148 0 90 60 90 38 0 185 90 52 100 100 953 
			                 
			  Vietnam Wild-caught 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			   F1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			   Total Captive-bred 0 0 80 0 0 47 80 88 80 0 80 0 455

Procurement

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff of each grade in her Department have the authority to make a purchase; what proportion of those staff have professional procurement qualifications; and what the key indicators used to assess procurement officers’ performance are.

James Brokenshire: The number of staff broken down by grade in the Home Department that have the authority to make a purchase as at September 2013 is provided in the following table.
	
		
			 Staff grade Total 
			 SCS 6 
			 Grade 6/7 64 
			 HEO/SEO 93 
			 EO 33 
			 AA/AO 7 
			 Total 203 
		
	
	Of the total number of staff that have the authority to make a purchase (as at September 2013) 71 staff have professional procurement qualifications.
	The key indicators used to assess procurement officers’ performance are based on the Government Core Competencies, including commercial competencies, which form part of the annual performance development review.

Sexual Offences

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 6 January 2014, Official Report, column 42W, on sexual offences, how many sexual offences were reported to the police in the most recent year for which figures are available; what the proportion of historical sexual offences are not yet on the data hub; and if she will publish all such figures not on the data hub.

Norman Baker: Data held centrally refer to crimes recorded by the police as opposed to crimes reported to the police. Police forces in England and Wales recorded 55,812 sexual offences in the year to June 2013.
	The historical sexual offences analysis referred to in the question was calculated using available Home Office Data Hub (HODH) data for the 23 forces already supplying the detailed data via this method. In the year to June 2013, these forces accounted for around a half of police recorded sexual offences.
	Consequently, around half of the sexual offences recorded in the year to June 2013 are recorded by forces that are not currently on the HODH.
	Forces not currently supplying data to the HODH do not provide information on the date the offence took place. Therefore, the Home Office does not hold such figures for those forces.

Sexual Offences: Peterborough

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she is taking to support (a) Peterborough city council and (b) other statutory bodies in their efforts to combat grooming and sexual exploitation of young women in Peterborough constituency; and if she will make a statement.

Norman Baker: holding answer 13 January 2014
	The Home Office has established a National Group to tackle sexual violence against children and vulnerable people. This brings together agencies including the Crown Prosecution Service, the police and key organisations such as the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, Rape Crisis and Barnardo’s to better identify those who are at risk and to urgently address missed opportunities by agencies to protect the most vulnerable. The National Group’s first progress report and action plan was published in July 2013 and can be found at the following link:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/230443/Sexual_Violence_against_ Children_and_Vulnerable_People.pdf
	In addition, specific work is being undertaken to support local areas to tackle sexual exploitation. The National Group has overseen the publication of an early findings report for local areas, such as Peterborough, to consider key themes and barriers encountered in delivering multi-agency working and information sharing models. These approaches bring together key agencies to provide early intervention to combat a range of safeguarding risks to vulnerable people, including the risk of grooming and sexual exploitation of at risk children and adults.

Training

Christopher Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which Ministers in her Department have undertaken training courses; and in the case of each such course what the (a) name of the course provider was, (b) purpose of the course was and (c) cost of each session in the course was.

James Brokenshire: Home Office Ministers have not undertaken any training courses in this current Session of Parliament.

Vetting

Richard Fuller: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many employers and organisations are registered with the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS); how many such employers and organisations have registered with the DBS Update Service; and how many have requested a certificate check through the Update Service in the last six months.

James Brokenshire: There are currently 3,533 bodies registered with the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). 77,341 individuals had subscribed to the Update Service by the end of December 2013. Using the Update Service, with an individual’s permission, employers and organisations are able to check whether any new information has been recorded since the date the DBS certificate was issued.
	56,768 such status checks had been made by the end of December 2013.

JUSTICE

Bank Services

Christopher Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice with what bank his Department's bank overdraft is held; and what fees and charges were payable on the core Department's bank overdraft in the last financial year.

Shailesh Vara: The Ministry of Justice banks with the Government Banking Service. There is no overdraft facility and therefore no bank charges relating to this in the last financial year.

Employment Tribunals Service: Scotland

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  which body has statutory responsibility for the independent reviewing of complaint handling in relation to employment judges sitting in Scotland; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what recent discussions he has had with the Lord President of the Court of Session on responsibility for the independent review of complaints handling in relation to employment judges sitting in Scotland; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what recent discussions he has had with the Scottish Government on the responsibility for independent review of the handling of complaints in relation to employment judges sitting in Scotland.

Shailesh Vara: The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, my right hon. Friend the Member for Epsom and Ewell (Chris Grayling), has not had any discussions with the Lord President or the Scottish Government; however, he is aware that an issue currently exists in relation to Employment Judges in Scotland in that they are not covered by the judicial conduct and discipline process provided for under the Judiciary Courts (Scotland) Act 2008 (Scottish courts judiciary) or the Constitutional Reform Act 2005 (England and Wales courts and tribunals judiciary and UK tribunals). The matter has also been raised by the Lord President with the Advocate General for Scotland and will be brought to the attention of the relevant departmental interest.

Freedom of Information Act 2000

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what consideration he has given to widening the application of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to cover examination boards.

Simon Hughes: The coalition agreement contains a commitment to extend the scope of the Freedom of Information Act (the Act) to provide greater transparency. We have extended the Act to companies wholly owned by more than one public authority, academies, the Association of Chief Police Officers, the Financial Ombudsman Service, and the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service. We continue to consider whether the scope of the Act should be further extended, including to awarding bodies (examination boards) in respect of any functions of a public nature that they may perform.

Government Procurement Card

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when his Department last published details of expenditure of over £500 using Government procurement cards.

Shailesh Vara: The Ministry of Justice has published details of all GPC transactions of £500 and above from April 2011 up until, and including, December 2012.
	Work to update our transparency data to ensure their accuracy is ongoing and we will publish our 2013 figures in due course.

Human Trafficking: Victim Support Schemes

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice where each of the referrals to the Government-funded support service for adult victims of human trafficking in England and Wales administered by the Salvation Army is now located; what contact is made with such people at the end of the 45-day reflection period; and if he will make a statement.

Damian Green: Since 1 July 2011 the Salvation Army has been contracted to provide support and assistance to adult victims of human trafficking for a minimum of 45 days or until a victims receives a “Conclusive Grounds” decision. Under the terms of their contract with the Ministry of Justice, the Salvation Army is not required to maintain contact or record information on the location of victims once they have exited contract services. However TSA and its sub-contractors work closely with a range of other partners to ensure that victims continue to receive support if it is needed.
	If victims have a right to reside in the UK they may have access to mainstream benefits and will receive support services as needed from local authorities and other mainstream support provision. If a victim wishes to return to their home country, and it is safe to do so, they will be supported in their return by the appropriate authorities.

NHS: Freedom of Information

David Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will bring forward legislative proposals to broaden Freedom of Information legislation so that the same transparency requirements apply to private providers who deliver NHS services as the public sector.

Simon Hughes: The Government recognise the importance of maintaining transparency in relation to outsourced public services. The NHS Standard Contract already includes a provision requiring private providers to assist and co-operate with Commissioners to enable them to meet their obligations under the Freedom of Information Act (the Act). In our response to the Justice Select Committee's Post-Legislative Scrutiny of the Act we also made clear that guidance will be provided in a revised Code of Practice to be issued under section 45 of the Act to promote openness by all contractors providing public services, including through the use and enforcement of contractual transparency provisions to encourage still greater openness.
	Copies of the response to Post-Legislative Scrutiny can be found in the House Library and at the following web address:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/217298/gov-resp-justice-comm-foi-act.pdf

Oakwood Prison

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice on which occasions HMP Oakwood has called on Tornado-trained staff from other prisons to deal with disturbances since first opening.

Jeremy Wright: Operation Tornado is terminology used by the National Offender Management Service to describe mutual aid arrangements across the prison estate in England and Wales. These arrangements are in place to assist establishments responding to serious incidents, such as acts of concerted indiscipline, by providing specially trained resources above and beyond those already available at an establishment.
	HM Prison Oakwood has called on Tornado-trained staff from other prisons on one occasion since opening, on 5 January 2014 for an act of concerted indiscipline. Tornado-trained staff were deployed mainly from G4S-run prisons with some additional support from public sector prisons.

Offenders: Rehabilitation

Mike Wood: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what qualifications, experience and expertise are required of those providing treatment for alcohol and drugs misuse to offenders upon release.

Jane Ellison: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Department of Health.
	For most people who provide drug and alcohol treatment, the qualifications required will depend on the job that they are doing.
	Local authorities are responsible for commissioning a range of services to meet their local drug and alcohol treatment needs, including those of offenders leaving prison. Each of these commissioned agencies are responsible for developing the skills of their own staff to ensure they deliver effective treatment that responds to the recovery ambitions of service users. Royal colleges and other professional groups have guidance, training and certificates for their members who deliver alcohol and drug interventions. The Substance Misuse Skills Consortium has published a national skills framework, describing the treatment interventions that can be offered at different stages throughout a substance misuser's journey to recovery and where available the competencies needed to deliver these.
	The consortium works with local areas and Public Health England, to enable employers and others to pursue a workforce strategy that is effective for recovery in the new locally-led public health landscape.

Prisoners’ Release

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what guidance his Department gives to companies who manage people on release from prison on steps to be taken to monitor the deaths of those under supervision.

Jeremy Wright: Probation trusts are currently responsible for managing offenders on release from prison while they are on licence. Guidance to trusts is contained in probation circular 37/2007: Revised Procedures for Monitoring Deaths under Supervision. This is available on the National Archive’s website at:
	http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20101216070244/http://www.probation.homeoffice.gov.uk/output/page31.asp
	Under the transforming rehabilitation programme, the responsibility for managing offenders on licence in the community will be transferred to the national probation service (NPS) and community rehabilitation companies (CRCs). Updated guidance for NPS and CRCs will be published in due course.

Prisoners: Clothing

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what steps he is taking to ensure that female prisoners have sufficient clothing;
	(2)  what steps he is taking to make sure that the restrictions imposed on parcels being sent to prisons do not prevent (a) male and (b) female prisoners from having sufficient clothing.

Jeremy Wright: There is a statutory requirement, under the prison rules, for convicted prisoners to be provided with clothing adequate for their warmth and health.
	On 1 November 2013, the revised incentives and earned privileges (IEP) policy framework came into effect in all prisons in England and Wales. Prisoners who comply with the requirements of the framework can gain increased access to privileges, including greater access to their private cash and eligibility to obtain better paid work; such prisoners are also permitted to have a greater range of items in their possession. Prisoners who do not comply have reduced access to private cash and are allowed fewer items in their possession.
	To allow families and friends to bring or send in property, including clothing, would undermine our efforts to ensure that prisoners are rewarded for positive behaviour and engaging with efforts to rehabilitate them. Governors have discretion to allow a one-off parcel of clothing to be handed in or sent in to prisoners (both male and female) following conviction.
	However, it is generally presumed that items for convicted prisoners should not be handed in or sent in by their friends or families unless there are exceptional circumstances. Governors have discretion to determine what constitutes exceptional circumstances; this could include, for example, where there is a need to replace clothing where laundry facilities are temporarily restricted.

Prisons

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps he is taking to improve performance at new prisons and implement lessons learnt from HM Prison Oakwood since that establishment's opening.

Jeremy Wright: We are constantly seeking to learn lessons to improve the running of the prison estate, both to improve security and to promote the rehabilitation of offenders.
	Opening a new prison is a hugely complex operational and logistical task and the first two years of operation for any new prison are invariably challenging. The majority of prisons that have opened in the past 15 years have a mobilisation phase with performance improving over time.
	The Ministry of Justice is working closely with the contractors managing the new prisons, to ensure that good practice is shared and that the contractors deliver to their contractual requirements, so that new prisons mature into well-run establishments that reduce the risk of future reoffending by those detained in them.

Prisons: Wrexham

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what effect the recent disturbance in HMP Oakwood will have on his Department's decision on whether the planned prison in Wrexham will be privately-run in part or in full; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many jobs will be created when the new planned prison in Wrexham opens;
	(3)  whether the proposed prison in Wrexham will be run by the public sector.

Jeremy Wright: We are considering a full range of options relating to the operation of the new prison but no decisions have been made on whether the establishment will be operated by the public or private sector. We will identify a provider(s) for the prison who is able to deliver the best value for the public as well as providing a safe, secure and decent environment.
	Final decisions on the staffing profile are dependent on the operator but we estimate that between 800 and 1,100 jobs will be created directly at the prison.
	It is estimated that approximately 100 jobs will come from those staff working in the new prison and visitors to the prison spending on local goods and services.
	In addition, (and based on previous experience), the new prison will provide significant job opportunities during the construction phase, many of which will be filled by local small to medium enterprises.

Probation

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what staff turnover was in each probation trust in England and Wales in each month since 2010.

Jeremy Wright: Information on the number of staff leaving the Probation Service is not collected centrally. The 35 probation trusts are non-departmental public Bodies (NDPBs) and have their own HR systems. In order to answer the question it would be necessary to obtain the information from each probation trust and this would incur disproportionate costs.
	Information on staffing levels at probation trust level is published in the Quarterly Probation Service Workforce Information reports. The link to the reports on GOV.UK is as follows:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/probation-service-workforce-quarterly-reports

Thameside Prison

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what account he took of recent fines for fraud when awarding Serco its contract to run Thameside Prison.

Jeremy Wright: The contract to run Thameside Prison was awarded to Serco in June 2010. Construction of the new house block at the prison is taking place following a variation to the existing contract.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he plans to write to the hon. Member for Tooting with a full response to question (a) 178975, (b) 179774, (c) 180654, (d) 180660, (e) 180670 and (f) 180671.

Jeremy Wright: I refer the right hon. Member to the reply I gave on 18 December 2013, Official Report, column 690W, to parliamentary question 179774.
	In relation to the remaining questions; we are seeking information and I will reply to the right hon. Member as soon as possible.

CABINET OFFICE

Codes of Practice

Julian Huppert: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  with reference to his Department's freedom of information case FOI318708, on what date he plans to publish the latest review of the Precedent Book;
	(2)  from whom clearance for his Department's response to freedom of information case FOI318708 was required; and for what reason such clearance was required.

Francis Maude: Transfer of the 1993 version of the Precedent Book to the National Archives is expected to take place in 2014. The nature of the information contained in the Precedent Book requires consultation with interested parties.

Employment: Upper Bann

David Simpson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what proportion of people in Upper Bann constituency were employed in the (a) private and (b) public sector in each of the last three years.

Nick Hurd: This is a devolved matter that is the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Department of Employment and Learning and the Department of Finance and Personnel.

Honours: Durham

Kevan Jones: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office which officials honours were bestowed upon people from County Durham in each of the last five years.

Greg Clark: The following table sets out the official honours on the Prime Minister's List awarded to those with addresses in Country Durham in 2009-14.
	
		
			  Kt DBE CB/CBE OBE MBE BEM Total 
			 NY14 — — — 2 6 4 12 
			 BD13 — — — — 2 3 5 
			 NY13 — — 1 4 7 3 15 
			 BD12 — — — — 5 3 8 
			 NY12 — — 1 3 6 — 10 
			 BD11 — 1 — 1 6 — 8 
			 NYU — — 2 3 11 — 16 
			 BD10 — — 1 3 12 — 16 
			 NY10 — — — 6 14 — 20 
			 BD09 — — — 3 6 — 9 
			 NY09 — — 1 1 6 — 8 
			 Total — 1 6 26 81 13 127

Iraq Committee of Inquiry

Mike Wood: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  what steps his Department has taken to ensure that the Chilcot Inquiry can publicise all the evidence gathered;
	(2)  if he will remove Sir Jeremy Heywood from his role in deciding which documents should be released to the Chilcot Inquiry.

Francis Maude: The Iraq Inquiry has been provided with all of the documents it has requested. Procedures for the publication of Government documents by the inquiry are set out in the Protocol agreed between Government and the inquiry, which also sets out the role of the Cabinet Secretary. The Government have no plans to change this.

Lords Lieutenant: Durham

Kevan Jones: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  if he will publish a detailed breakdown of the costs incurred by the lord lieutenant of County Durham in the fulfilment of her duties since her appointment to the role;
	(2)  if he will publish a detailed breakdown of the costs incurred by each of the deputy lords lieutenant of County Durham in the fulfilment of their duties since their appointment to that role;
	(3)  if he will publish a detailed breakdown of the costs incurred by the vice lord lieutenant of County Durham in the fulfilment of his duties since his appointment to that role.

Greg Clark: The Durham lieutenancy received an annual budget of £50,705 for the financial year 2013-14.
	It is not possible to provide a breakdown of the costs incurred by the lord lieutenant for Durham, or the vice lord lieutenant when he is representing Durham, as it is one of 11 Metropolitan lieutenancies which submit bids each year for a fixed-amount of funding on the basis of an annual budget negotiated in advance by the lieutenancy and the Cabinet Office, Durham therefore does not provide expenses claims to the Cabinet Office.

Lords Lieutenant: Durham

Kevan Jones: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  what criteria and procedures were used for the appointment of each of the incumbent deputy lieutenants in County Durham;
	(2)  what criteria and procedures were used for the appointment of the incumbent vice lord lieutenant of County Durham;
	(3)  what criteria and procedures were used for the appointment of the incumbent Secretary to the lord lieutenant of County Durham;
	(4)  what the area of residence is of each of the incumbent deputy lieutenants in County Durham.

Greg Clark: Vice lords lieutenant are nominated by lord lieutenant following the consideration of available candidates. The nomination is submitted to the Prime Minister and the Queen for approval.
	Appointment of deputy lieutenants in Durham is the responsibility of the lord lieutenant of Durham, subject only to the Queen not disapproving of the granting of the commission. Their residence is not a matter for central Government.
	The selection procedure and job description of lords’ lieutenant secretaries is not determined by central Government.

National Income: South West

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the estimates of gross domestic product (GDP) calculated on the basis of (a) production, (b) income and (c) expenditure were for (i) Swindon, (ii) Wiltshire and (iii) the South West region in each quarter in the years 2007-08 to 2012-13 before reconciliation to produce the single GDP figure for each quarter.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated January 2014
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question to ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the estimates of gross domestic product (GDP) calculated on the basis of (a) production, (b) income and (c) expenditure were for (i) Swindon, (ii) Wiltshire and (iii) the South West region in each quarter in the years 2007-08 to 2012-13 before reconciliation to produce the single GDP figure for each quarter (183606).
	ONS does not produce regional estimates of GDP but we do publish estimates of regional Gross Value Added (GVA), which is a very similar economic concept to GDP. The main difference is that GVA is measured at current basic prices which reflect the amount received by the producer for a unit of goods or services excluding any taxes less subsidies on products. GDP is measured at market prices which reflect the price paid by the purchaser and therefore includes the effect of taxes and subsidies on products.
	Regional GVA estimates at current basic prices are produced on an annual basis calculated using the income approach (GVA(I)). The table in Annex A shows the GVA(I) £m for the years 2007-2012 for Swindon, Wiltshire CC and the South West region. These figures are taken from the Regional GVA (Income Approach) statistical bulletin published in December 2013:
	http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/regional-accounts/regional-gross-value-added--income-approach-/december-2013/stb-regional-gva-2012.html
	ONS is committed to developing annual estimates of constant price regional GVA using the production approach (GVA(P)) by 2017. Experimental estimates were published in December 2013 but these are in a very early stage of development. A GVA balancing project will consider the viability of producing a single balanced measure of regional GVA (using the income and production estimates) in the future.
	Unfortunately ONS does not produce regional estimates of GVA using the expenditure approach, as this is regarded as conceptually impractical.
	
		
			 Annex A: Workplace-based GVA(I) 
			 £ million at current prices 
			  2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 
			 Swindon 5,708 5,758 5,824 5,803 5,936 5,765 
			 Wiltshire CC 8,168 8,562 8,274 8,597 8,349 8,562 
			 South West 95,107 96,492 96,423 100,372 100,392 101,576 
			 Source: Table 3.1 GVA at current basic prices http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/publications/re-reference-tables.html?edition=tcm%3A77-317145

Queen's Award for Voluntary Service

Kevan Jones: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office which organisations and individuals received the Queen's Award for Voluntary Service in County Durham in each of the last five years.

Nick Hurd: A list of the Queen's Award for Voluntary Service winners are published in the London Gazette in June each year at:
	http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/exact=queen's+award+for+voluntary+service/start=1

Youth Work

Tim Loughton: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what responsibility his Department has for the youth worker workforce; and when such responsibilities were taken on.

Nick Hurd: In July 2013 Cabinet Office became the lead for youth policy, which includes the Government's relationship with the youth sector.
	We recognise that the youth worker workforce play an important role in delivering high quality services that meet our ambition that all young people fulfil their potential.
	The Government believe that organisations delivering services are best placed to decide how to configure and deploy their workforce.

DEFENCE

Aircraft Carriers

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the most specific up-to-date timetable for the completion of the aircraft carrier programme will be released.

Philip Dunne: The revised programme announced by the Secretary of State for Defence, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), on 6 November 2013, Official Report, columns 251-254, will be subject to formal re-approval by the Ministry of Defence approval authorities in the spring of this year.
	Based on the revised programme, we expect HMS Queen Elizabeth Sea Trials in 2017, First of Class Flying Trials in 2018 and Initial Operating Capability in 2020. The future of the second carrier, HMS Prince of Wales, will be decided as part of the next Strategic Defence and Security Review in 2015.

Aircraft Carriers

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the overall budget for the costs of the aircraft carrier programme will be finalised.

Philip Dunne: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 8 November 2013, Official Report, column 399W, to the hon. Member for Moray (Angus Robertson). The revised programme will be subject to formal re-approval by the Ministry of Defence approval authorities. We expect this to take place in the spring of this year.

Armed Forces: Rehabilitation

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what resources were made available in each of the last five years for rehabilitation of service personnel returning from Afghanistan.

Anna Soubry: The Defence Medical Services (DMS) are responsible for the provision of rehabilitation: the clinical treatment of medical conditions arising from illness, wounding or injury. Once personnel seriously injured in operational theatre are sufficiently healed, most start a rehabilitation programme at the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre (DMRC) at Headley Court. When discharged from the DMRC, other rehabilitation might then be provided to personnel at one of the 13 DMS regional rehabilitation units.
	It is not possible separately to identify expenditure on the rehabilitation of service personnel injured in Afghanistan from those in other recent operations. However, the following net additional (or marginal) costs of military operations (NACMO), funded from the HM Treasury Special Reserve, for the rehabilitation of those injured in recent operations has been incurred in the past four financial years (FY), and forecast for this financial year
	
		
			  Financial year (£ million) 
			  2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 
			 DMRC Manpower 3.467 3.43 3.702 1.59 1.223 
			 Healthcare Contracts 16.497 20.754 21.67 14.646 14.034 
			 Regional Rehabilitation Units 0.574 0.991 0.066 0.336 1— 
			 Enhancing Rehabilitation Support to the Field Army — — — 0.567 0.567 
			 1 Not yet available.

Army

Julian Brazier: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of the regular Army transferred to the Territorial Army during (a) 2011-12, (b) 2012-13 and (c) 2013-14.

Anna Soubry: The number of ex-regular Army personnel that have joined the Territorial Army or Army Reserve since 1 April 2012 are shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Total 
			 1 April 2012 to 31 March 2013 820 
			 1 April 2013 to 30 November 2013 600 
		
	
	Information prior to 1 April 2012 is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Army: Recruitment

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence from which portion of his Department's budget the planned new recruitment drive for the Army will be borne.

Anna Soubry: The current Army recruitment drive is being funded from within the Army's Top Level Budget.

Army: Recruitment

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many officials are employed in the project management team for the Recruiting Partnering Project for Army recruitment; and at what Civil Service pay bands such officials are employed.

Anna Soubry: The Recruiting Partnering Project (RPP) is a 10-year contract with Capita Business Services Ltd to deliver support to the Army's recruiting and selection operation for both regular and reserve personnel RPP relies upon very close working relations between Capita and the Army in a combined management structure, at all levels, and joint governance using existing bodies.
	A Partnering Support Team has been set up to manage the project on behalf of the Ministry of Defence. This team, led by an Army colonel, is made up of five military and five civil service personnel. Civil service posts are made up of one Band CI and four Band C2 grades. The team currently has one external contractor, directly attached to it.
	The Partnering Support Team is strongly supported by the wider Headquarters Army Recruiting and Training Directorate, based at Upavon.

Army: Recruitment

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the project management team for the Recruiting Partnering Project for Army recruitment first informed (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department of (i) delays and (ii) cost overruns in that programme.

Anna Soubry: Ministers and officials were advised of emerging issues over the new recruiting processes in early summer of 2013. Following further work in the Ministry of Defence, the Secretary of State for Defence, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), concluded, in principle, in October 2013 that the long-term IT solution lay in reverting to the Capita option.
	Despite the IT challenges, the cost of the Recruiting Partnering Project remains affordable within its original budget.

Army: Recruitment

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of whether the additional £1 million per month costs incurred by his Department as a result of changes announced to the Recruiting Partnering Project are likely to rise before the problems with that project are resolved.

Anna Soubry: The running costs of approximately £1 million per month are for the interim solution that we have put in place. On current assumptions, we do not expect these costs to increase.

Army: Recruitment

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reason the Army did not implement a contingency plan when it had become clear that there were delays and cost overruns in the Recruiting Partnering Project.

Anna Soubry: The new Army recruiting process started less than a year ago at the end of March 2013. The Army implemented a number of workaround solutions as soon as it became clear that there were some problems with the new processes, and is now making a variety of improvements to ensure the efficient and timely processing of candidate applications. These include: the introduction in December 2013 of a revised Army recruitment website; and by the end of January 2014 a simplified online application form and more streamlined medical clearance processes.

Army: Recruitment

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Army and reserve applications he estimates have been lost as a result of faults in the Recruiting Partnering Project.

Anna Soubry: The information requested is not held and it is not possible accurately to estimate such totals.

Army: Recruitment

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish a detailed rationale and criteria for his Department's 2011 decision to accept the Capita bid to run the Recruiting Partnering Project.

Anna Soubry: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the then Minister for Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans, my right hon. Friend the Member for South Leicestershire (Mr Robathan), on 14 March 2012, Official Report, column 323W.

Army: Recruitment

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what meetings Ministers and officials in his Department have held with the project team for the Recruiting Partnering Project; and what was discussed at each such meeting.

Anna Soubry: Ministers and officials within the Ministry of Defence hold frequent and regular meetings with the relevant teams involved in Army recruiting, to discuss a wide variety of topics.

Army: Recruitment

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what contingency plan his Department put in place in the event of delays and problems with its Recruiting Partnering Project.

Anna Soubry: We are continuing to successfully recruit Regular and Reserve soldiers using existing Ministry of Defence systems, which, although not designed for the new partnering arrangement, still enable us to process applications. Furthermore a range of initiatives are being put in place to make it progressively easier and quicker for an applicant to enlist. These include: the introduction in December 2013 of an updated Army recruitment website; and by the end of January 2014 a simplified online application form and more streamlined medical clearance processes.
	In addition, the contingency plan if needed, was to adopt the Capita based solution.

AWE Aldermaston

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when decommissioning of the A1 facility at the Atomic Weapons Establishment Aldermaston is scheduled to (a) commence and (b) finish; and what the anticipated cost is of decommissioning that facility.

Philip Dunne: Work commenced on decommissioning the A1 facility in 2004 and is due to finish in 2030. The anticipated cost is estimated to be between £130 million and £150 million.

Buildings

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which buildings occupied by his Department are owned or part-owned privately; what the total value is of the rent paid to private landlords for the use of such buildings for official duties; and to whom such rent is paid.

Andrew Murrison: I am withholding the information as its disclosure would prejudice commercial interests.

Defence Nuclear Safety Regulator

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when work on (a) the Defence Nuclear Safety Regulator's review of the Ministry of Defence nuclear regulatory framework and (b) the Defence Nuclear Safety Regulator's regulatory strategy will be complete; and whether his Department will publish those documents.

Philip Dunne: The Defence Nuclear Safety Regulator (DNSR) initiated a Review in March 2013 of the Ministry of Defence (MOD) nuclear regulatory framework, broadly based on the established good practice set down by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Integrated Regulatory Review Service. The Review team was subject to independent oversight and reported in July 2013. It concluded that the DNSR currently has the resources, both internally and by contract, to undertake the full range of its responsibilities and that the MOD has an appropriate nuclear regulatory framework. There are a number of recommendations and suggestions that are being addressed by the DNSR.
	The DNSR Strategy 2013 to 2023, setting out the broad medium and long-term direction and focus for the DNSR, was produced in October 2013.
	The review and strategy documents will be considered for publication in due course.

HMS Tireless

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 19 June 2013, Official Report, column 719W, on HMS Tireless, what the cost of repairs was to HMS Tireless following that submarine's return to HM Naval Base Devonport in February 2013 with a leak in the reactor cooling circuit.

Philip Dunne: The HMS Tireless defect repair was undertaken at Devonport between February and June 2013 under the Warship Support Modernisation Initiative. Total direct costs are subject to ongoing negotiations.

Military Aviation Authority

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects the Military Aviation Authority to publish its Annual Air Safety Report for 2012-13.

Anna Soubry: The Director General of the Military Aviation Authority's Annual Report on Defence Air Safety, for the period July 2012 to August 2013, is due to be published shortly.

Military Bases: Aldershot

Dave Watts: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make an estimate of the number of homes that could be made available for sale if any of the regimental headquarters in Aldershot were sold.

Andrew Murrison: The Ministry of Defence has no current plans to sell any of the regimental headquarters in Aldershot. As such there are no plans to dispose of any service family accommodation properties.

Military Bases: Aldershot

Dave Watts: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make an assessment of the potential economic effect of a relocation of the Aldershot base to the North West.

Andrew Murrison: In the Regular Army Basing Plan, published by the Ministry of Defence on 5 March 2013 and available in the Library of the House, the Department did not include any plans to move a unit from Aldershot to the North West.

Military Exercises

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what assets and how many personnel are taking part in Exercise Red Flag; and what his estimate is of the cost to the public purse;
	(2)  what assets and how many personnel took part in the last five Red Flag exercises.

Mark Francois: The following table sets out the assets and personnel that have taken part in the last five Red Flag exercises, which are held at either Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada or Elmendorf Air Force Base in Alaska.
	
		
			 Exercise Start date Assets Number of personnel 
			 Red Flag (Nellis, Nevada) February 2013 9 x Typhoon 8 x GR4 Tornado 410 
			 Red Flag (Elmendorf, Alaska) October 2012 1 x E3D Sentry 80 
			 Red Flag (Elmendorf, Alaska) August 2012 1 x E3D Sentry l x C130 130 
			 Red Flag (Nellis, Nevada) February 2012 8 x GR4 Tornado 220 
			 Red Flag (Elmendorf, Alaska) August 2011 2 x C130 100 
		
	
	There are due to be 520 UK personnel involved in the forthcoming Red Flag exercise at Nellis Air Force Base in January to February 2014. Eight Typhoon, eight GR4 Tornado and one E3D Sentry aircraft will be taking part in the exercise. £2.25 million has been allocated for the exercise.
	In accordance with the Data Protection Act and our obligations in relation to the protection of confidentiality when handling personal data, data have been rounded to the nearest 10. When rounding to the nearest 10, numbers ending in five have been rounded to the nearest multiple of 20 to prevent systematic bias.

Nuclear Weapons

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the timetable is for his planned renewal in 2014 of the 1958 US-UK Mutual Defence Agreement; and what steps have been taken to facilitate renewal of that agreement to date.

Philip Dunne: Work is under way in the UK and US to amend the treaty by the end of 2014.

Nuclear Weapons

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what date the next Stocktake meeting between the Government and the US Administration under the 1958 Mutual Defence Agreement is scheduled to take place; and where that meeting will be held.

Philip Dunne: A Stocktake meeting took place at the Atomic Weapons Establishment, Aldermaston, on 16 January 2014. The date and venue for the next meeting have not yet been set. Stocktake meetings are nominally annual, hosted equitably by the US and UK.

Pay

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what the job title and brief job description is of every official in his Department earning over £100,000 per year;
	(2)  what the (a) pay and (b) pay scale is of employees within DE&S+ who earn over £100,000 per year.

Anna Soubry: This Government have made difficult decisions to tackle the deficit in the Defence budget inherited from the previous Administration. As part of this we have already reduced the Ministry of Defence (MOD) civilian work force by over 20,500 (24%) since April 2010, and we will achieve our target reduction of some 32,000 (38%) by 2020. However, MOD civil servants manage some of the most complex and critical projects in the country and we have to be able to attract and retain high calibre people to undertake these challenging roles.
	There are currently 36 civilian employees in the MOD who are paid in excess of £100,000. This figure represents around 0.05% of the civilian work force. Details of senior posts at the MOD, including job titles, salary information and brief job descriptions are published on a regular basis. The latest dataset from March 2013 was published in August 2013 and can be found at the following address:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/departmental-organisation-charts-mod-2013
	An updated dataset as at 30 September 2013 will be available on the same website shortly.

Procurement

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many staff of each grade in his Department have the authority to make a purchase; what proportion of those staff have professional procurement qualifications; and what the key indicators used to assess procurement officers' performance are.

Anna Soubry: Ministry of Defence (MOD) procurement activity ranges from the purchase of low value consumable items through to complex equipment acquisition, support and services. These activities involve multi-disciplinary teams, including engineering, technical, finance, project management and procurement staff. There is clear separation of responsibilities between those authorising the initial requirement, those giving financial authority and those empowered to place contracts.
	The MOD currently has around 1,700 civilian staff in the commercial function of which 1,200 are in active commercial roles and are authorised to sign contracts with suppliers. Others are responsible for commercial policy, development and administration. Of the 1,700 posts, 21 are Senior Civil Service, 200 are Band B, 900 are Band C, 450 are Band D, 75 are Band E and 50 are in graduate and similar training grades.
	Commercial staff must demonstrate the necessary levels of functional competence and experience to be licensed and receive a formal commercial delegation. Some 60% of commercial staff currently hold, or are working towards, qualifications in the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS). This is expected to rise to around 75% in 2015. The MOD is also developing an advanced commercial skills programme to supplement this with training relevant to the MOD's complex acquisition process, which goes beyond standard CIPS training.
	As with all MOD staff, commercial officers are subject to annual performance reviews which assess how well they are meeting their personal objectives. These objectives are set individually by the line manager and will vary according to the specific requirements of each post.

Telephone Services

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to the Cabinet Office Guidance for Customer Service Helplines, published on 26 December 2013, when his Department expects to comply with the instruction set out in that guidance that non-geographic 084 numbers should by default use the 03 prefix.

Philip Dunne: The Department is currently assessing and scoping the Cabinet Office guidance for customer service helplines with a view to its implementation. It is intended that departmental implementation will align with the Cabinet Office deadlines due to be published in spring 2014.

Training

Christopher Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which Ministers in his Department have undertaken training courses; and in the case of each such course what the (a) name of the course provider, (b) purpose of the course and (c) cost of each session in the course was.

Anna Soubry: None of the Ministers currently serving in the Ministry of Defence has undertaken any training courses.

Work Experience

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people aged (a) 16 and under and (b) over 16 years old undertook work experience in his Department in each of the last three years.

Anna Soubry: Information on the number of people who may have undertaken work experience placements in the Ministry of Defence in the last three years is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Child Maintenance

Richard Fuller: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the progress of the Child Support Agency in restarting committal proceedings since the end of the moratorium.

Steve Webb: Since the end of the moratorium the Child Support Agency has applied for hearing dates for cases where a parent has had their committal suspended in an initial hearing on condition they comply with certain payment conditions and has subsequently defaulted (“show cause” cases). In these cases the Agency has generally been successful in getting agreement from the courts to lift the suspension of the measures imposed.
	While the flow of new commitment cases has reduced significantly as a consequence of revised procedures, the Agency is no longer confining cases going to court to “show cause” cases. Other new applications have now been lodged in court and hearing dates assigned which will fully test out our revised processes and procedures. Providing these cases progress satisfactorily, a number of other cases which are at an earlier stage in the enforcement process are likely to quickly follow.

Child Maintenance

Richard Fuller: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in how many cases the Child Support Agency has started committal proceedings in each of the last five years.

Steve Webb: Information on the number of cases in which the Child Support Agency has started committal proceedings is only readily available from 2010. The following table shows the number of cases where committal proceedings were started for each of the last three complete financial years and the current year to date:
	
		
			 Financial year Committal proceeding started 
			 April 2010 to March 2011 3,270 
			 April 2011 to March 2012 3,560 
			 April 2012 to March 2013 300 
		
	
	
		
			 April 2013 to August 2013 1— 
			 1 Used where figure is less than rounding threshold. Notes: 1. Following a Court Of Appeal decision in October 2012, a review of the Commitment to Prison process was carried out to ensure it complied with the terms of the judgment given in that case. While doing so, applications for Commitment to Prison were not brought before the court. Procedures resumed from March 2013. 2. Data sourced from Tallyman Informer. 3. Data rounded to the nearest 10. 
		
	
	Other information on the outcome of committal proceedings which may be relevant is available on page 40 of the Child Support Agency Quarterly Summary of Statistics which can be found at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/child-support-agency-quarterly-summary-statistics-september-2013

Council Tax Benefits: Warrington

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in Warrington North constituency have been living in the same property and in receipt of council tax benefit since 1996; and what estimate he has made of the number of these people who have (a) received transitional council tax benefit, (b) erroneously had their benefit cancelled and (c) moved home following erroneous deductions from their benefit.

Steve Webb: Council tax benefit was abolished in April 2013 and replaced by local council tax reduction schemes in England. Therefore it is not possible for anyone to have been living in the same property and in continuous receipt of the benefit since 1996.

Employment and Support Allowance

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will publish the guidance given by his Department to those dealing with claims for employment and support allowance where the claimant is known to be addicted to alcohol or drugs.

Michael Penning: Guidance for Atos health care professionals and the relevant extract of guidance for DWP decision makers and advisers who deal with claims for employment and support allowance where the claimant is known to be addicted to alcohol or drugs will be published in the House of Commons Library.
	It should be noted that guidance is constantly updated and therefore subject to change.

Employment: Older Workers

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he is taking to increase the employment prospects of those aged over 50.

Esther McVey: Jobcentre Plus advisers have the flexibility to offer all claimants, including older people, a comprehensive menu of help which includes skills provision and job search support. All claimants who are long term unemployed can access the tailored, back to work support from the Work Programme.
	Jobcentres have the freedom to innovate approaches to help older people. Examples of approaches currently being used in some districts across the country include:
	Delivering customer focus groups for older people to ascertain their needs to help develop future provision for this group.
	Information sessions specific to older claimant's needs covering CVs/job applications, interviews, further support and moving into employment or self-employment.
	Providing dedicated advisers for claimants aged over 50.
	Work clubs for claimants aged over 50.
	IT provision aimed specifically at older claimants.
	In addition, DWP is developing and sharing an internal Good Practice Guide—“Creating Opportunities and Breaking Down Barriers” by the end of March 2014 and taking steps to ensure advisers are able to meet the needs of older claimants.
	On retention: DWP's Age Positive Initiative provides guidance on employing older workers and the business benefits of adopting flexible approaches. BIS' Mid-life career review was set up to prevent early labour market fall out. In 2014, the State-funded DWP Health and Work Advisory Service will make occupational health expertise more widely available; helping employees get back to work more quickly, thereby reducing the chance of them falling out of work altogether.

Health and Safety Executive

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what progress he has made in appointing a chief executive for the Health and Safety Executive; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Penning: The decision has been taken to re-run the recruitment exercise for the chief executive of the Health and Safety Executive.
	The triennial review has affirmed many of the positive aspects of what the organisation does and has also identified some real opportunities for the future which will require a somewhat different skill set in the chief executive. These factors are being taken into account in rerunning the process.

Housing Benefit

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people received more than (a) £60,000, (b) £70,000, (c) £80,000, (d) £90,000 and (e) £100,000 in housing benefit in each of the last six years.

Steve Webb: The information requested is available at:
	https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk
	Guidance on how to extract the information required can be found at:
	https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Stat-Xplore_User_Guide.htm
	To obtain the information divide the yearly amounts requested by 52.18 to give the weekly amount of housing benefit in payment then a search can be done in Stat Xplore for the number of cases with those weekly amounts in payment.

Housing Benefit

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what spending in cash terms is projected on housing benefit in each of the next three years; and how much it is projected to be in respect of (a) out-of-work claimants and (b) claimants in work in each year.

Steve Webb: The information requested is not available. Housing benefit (HB) expenditure forecasts are produced by statistical group, rather than earnings status. Table 1 shows HB expenditure forecasts for:
	(a) claimants receiving DWP benefits, who are mainly not in work, but which will include expenditure on a small proportion of claimants with small amounts of earnings, and
	(b) claimants not receiving DWP benefits, of which around 90% is on claimants who have earnings.
	
		
			 Table 1: Housing benefit expenditure by receipt of DWP benefits 
			 £ million (nominal) 
			  Receiving DWP benefits   
			  Working age benefits Pensioner benefits Not receiving DWP benefits Total 
			 2013-14 13,548 5,688 4,739 23,976 
			 2014-15 13,845 5,810 5,130 24,785 
			 2015-16 14,178 5,825 5,543 25,546 
			 2016-17 14,642 5,775 5,987 26,405 
			 Notes: 1. Housing benefit expenditure forecasts are published at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/267376/Outturn-and-forecast-expenditure-201213.xls#'HousinaBenefit'!A1 2. Expenditure on HB claimants by receipt of DWP working age and pensioner benefits is broken down using the National Statistics definition as published at the link above. 3. The proportion of claimants with earnings is estimated using the latest available administrative data from DWP and local authority systems. This proportion may change over the forecast period. Source: Autumn statement 2013 forecasts

Housing Benefit

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the spending on housing benefit has been in cash terms in each year since 2009; and how much was paid in respect of (a) out-of-work claimants and (b) claimants in work in each year.

Steve Webb: The following table shows out-turn expenditure on housing benefit by work status.
	
		
			 Housing benefit out-turn expenditure by work status of claimants 
			 £ million, nominal 
			  Out of work   
			  Working age Pensioner In work Total 
			 2009-10 12,406 5,221 2,362 19,989 
			 2010-11 12,241 5,970 3,215 21,427 
			 2011-12 12,726 6,186 3,908 22,820 
			 2012-13 13,119 6,371 4,410 23,900 
			 Notes: 1. In-work expenditure is based on instances where either the claimant or their partner has recorded earnings while out of work expenditure is based on instances where both the claimant and partner have no recorded earnings, estimated using administrative data from local authority systems. 2. Cases where either the claimant or their partner is above guarantee credit age are categorised as pensioners, while cases where both the claimant and partner are under guarantee credit age are categorised as working age. 3. Figures may differ from those given in other analyses of benefits paid to households with earnings, where they are based on the family resources survey. Source: Local authority statistical data and subsidy returns.

Housing Benefit: Preston

Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in Preston constituency under the age of 25 years old are recipients of housing benefit.

Steve Webb: The information requested is shown in the following table:
	
		
			 Housing benefit recipients aged under 25 years old 
			 Parliamentary constituency Total 
			 Preston 1,048 
		
	
	This information is published and can be found at:
	https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk
	Guidance on how to extract the information required can be found at:
	https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Stat-Xplore_User_Guide.htm

Housing Benefit: Social Rented Housing

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many households that have suffered a bereavement since April 2013 have been affected by the implementation of the under-occupancy charge in social housing in (a) the metropolitan borough of Wirral, (b) Birkenhead constituency and (c) the UK.

Esther McVey: The information requested is unavailable.
	Housing benefit claimants who suffer a bereavement have a 12-month grace period before the size criteria rules are applied to the deceased person's bedroom. Where the deceased person is a partner this will have no effect, even after 12 months.
	Therefore the number of households who are subject to the removal of the spare room subsidy as a result of a bereavement since April 2013 would be zero, where they have not had any other change to their circumstances or moved address.

Housing Benefit: Social Rented Housing

Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people have been wrongly identified as liable to pay the under-occupancy penalty in Halton constituency.

Esther McVey: The information requested is not available.

Industrial Health and Safety

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many times the Health and Safety Executive has applied a Fee for Intervention in each month since October 2012; and what the total of such fees in each such month was.

Michael Penning: The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) issue Fee for Intervention invoices every two months. Since the introduction of Fee for Intervention on 1 October 2012 the number and value of the invoices that have been issued are as follows:
	
		
			 Period covered Date invoices issued Number of invoices issued Value of invoices issued (£) 
			 October to November 2012 25 January 2013 1,418 727,644.81 
			 December to January 2012 20 March 2013 1,807 857,254.34 
			 February to March 2012 17 May 2013 2,541 1,088,874.37 
			 April to May 2012 12 July 2013 2,680 1,292,356.93 
			 June to July 2012 26 September 2013 2,995 1,566,435.06 
			 August to September 2012 25 November 2013 3,476 1,550,054.74 
		
	
	These figures are regularly published on the HSE website. They can be found here
	http://www.hse.gov.uk/fee-for-intervention/ffi-invoices-oct12-jul13.pdf
	FFI was introduced on 1 October 2012; any regulatory work HSE commenced before this date but which remains ongoing is exempt from Fee for Intervention. Since 1 October 2012 the proportion of ongoing regulatory work exempt from FFI has gradually reduced as interventions have been concluded. This has resulted in the number of Fee for Intervention invoices gradually rising as the proportion of cost recoverable work increases in line with new interventions.

National Insurance

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many citizens of Romania and Bulgaria registered for a national insurance number in the first two weeks of January 2014.

Esther McVey: The information requested is not available. The Department publishes quarterly national statistics on national insurance number registrations to adult overseas nationals.
	Statistics for the period 1 January 2014 to 31 March 2014 will be published on 22 May 2014. These statistics will be available at:
	https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk
	Guidance on how to extract the information required can be found at:
	https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Stat-Xplore_User_Guide.htm

Occupational Pensions

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the Government's annual contribution to an auto-enrolment pension scheme is for an employee earning (a) £10,000, (b) £20,000, (c) £30,000 and (d) £40,000 a year.

Steve Webb: The legal minimum rate for individual contributions to an automatic enrolment pension scheme in 2013-14 is 1% of earnings between the lower limit (£5,668) and the upper limit (£41,450) of the 2013-14 qualifying earnings band (QEB). This will rise to a minimum of 5% of earnings in the QEB from October 2018.
	Many employees pay more than the legal minimum rate of contributions, and also contribute to pensions from the first pound of earnings. The following table illustrates the Government's annual contribution to an auto-enrolment pension scheme for employees earning at the following levels in 2013-14 for a range of these possibilities.
	
		
			  Government contribution through tax relief at 1% individual contribution level Government contribution through tax relief at 5% individual contribution level 
			 Earnings levels Individual contribution based on entire earnings (£) Individual contribution based only on QEB (£) Individual contribution based on entire earnings (£) Individual contribution based only on QEB (£) 
			 £10,000 20 9 100 43 
			 £20,000 40 29 200 143 
			 £30,000 60 49 300 243 
			 £40,000 80 69 400 343 
			 Notes: 1. Individuals are eligible for automatic enrolment if they earn above the 2013-14 earnings trigger of £9,440. 2. The table assumes a basic rate tax payer. 3. The table only considers income tax relief on individual contributions to automatic enrolment pension schemes. Individuals also benefit from tax relief on contributions made by their employers.

Pensions: Financial Assistance Scheme

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of including pre-1997 indexation in determining the pensions of those covered by the Financial Assistance Scheme;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of increasing to 100% the pension rights payable to those covered by the Financial Assistance Scheme;
	(3)  what average pension is payable to those people covered by the Financial Assistance Scheme;
	(4)  what estimate he has made of the total value of pension liabilities covered by the Financial Assistance Scheme.

Steve Webb: In 2010 we estimated that the cost of providing pre-1997 indexation at RPI capped at 2.5% would be around £845 million (net present value) and the cost of providing assistance set at 100% of the expected pension would be around £550 million (net present value). It should be noted that these estimates are now out of date and cannot be relied upon as a reflection of the costs today.
	We do not know the average pension payable to people covered by the Financial Assistance Scheme. However, in November 2013, the average annual amount of assistance paid to those covered by the Financial Assistance Scheme, including those whose annuities are being topped up, was £3,415.
	We have made no estimate of the total value of pension liabilities covered by the Financial Assistance Scheme.

Social Security

Simon Danczuk: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make it his policy to complete a review of the operation of local discretionary welfare provision in 2013-14 before discontinuing funding for such provision.

Steve Webb: It was always the intention that 2014-15 would be the last year of separate funding for local welfare provision from the Department for Work and Pensions. Councils will continue to provide support to those in their community who face financial difficulties or who find themselves in unavoidable circumstances.
	In contrast to a centralised grant system that was poorly targeted, councils can now choose how to best to support local welfare needs within their areas.
	This Government continue to provide support to local authorities through general funds as part of the Government's commitment to reducing ring-fencing and ending top-down Whitehall control.

Social Security

Simon Danczuk: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what representations he has received from local authorities on the effect of changes to local discretionary welfare provision on the local provision of food banks.

Steve Webb: I have received no representations.

Social Security Benefits

Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to his answer of 8 January 2014, Official Report, column 241W, on social security benefits, if he will publish the written guidance provided to staff to help them decide whether a short-term benefit advance is appropriate.

Esther McVey: A copy of the current written guidance, which staff use to help them decide whether a short term benefit advance is appropriate, will be published and placed in the House of Commons Library.

Social Security Benefits

Andy Sawford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what information the Government have recently made available about accessing local welfare provision in their area.

Steve Webb: We have made no specific information available recently. However, to promote awareness of the new arrangements, we continue to work very closely with English local authorities and the devolved nations to support them in delivering their services so that claimants can get timely access to the support available from both the Department and the provision in their communities. This includes messages on the Department’s telephone inquiry lines, scripts for DWP staff to use in jobcentres and call centres, messages on customer letters and information on the benefits pages on the www.gov.uk website.

Social Security Benefits: Disability

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what steps his Department has taken to ensure that young disabled people continue to receive support in the period between termination of disability living allowance for children and carer's allowance and successful application for personal independence payments;
	(2)  how many young disabled people were without support between termination of disability living allowance for children and carer's allowance and successful application for personal independence payments in the latest period for which data are available; and what the average length of time is that such support was not available.

Michael Penning: Personal independence payment (PIP) is not available to disabled people aged 15 or younger and they can continue to claim and receive disability living allowance (DLA). Since 28 October 2013, we have started the process of inviting existing recipients of DLA to claim PIP if:
	we receive information about a change in care or mobility needs on or after 28 October;
	their fixed term award is due to expire on or after 17 March 2014;
	they turn 16 years old (unless they have been awarded DLA under the Special Rules for terminally ill people); or
	an existing DLA claimant wishes to claim PIP instead of their DLA.
	We are rolling out this process of inviting existing DLA claimants to claim PIP in a controlled way. Details of how we are doing that can be found in the PIP Toolkit:
	www.gov.uk/dwp/pip-toolkit
	Where someone in receipt of DLA chooses to claim PIP, and they comply with all claiming requirements, their DLA, and any associated payment of carer's allowance paid to their carer, will stay in payment while their claim to PIP is being considered. Once a decision on PIP has been made the claimant's DLA will continue to be paid for four weeks before the PIP decision takes effect. These arrangements ensure that there will be no gap in payment for all existing DLA claimants who chose to claim PIP. Any continued payment of carer's allowance will be dependent on the disabled person having been awarded either rate of the daily living component of PIP.

Social Security Benefits: Wirral

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent estimate he has made of the number of people claiming (a) jobseeker's allowance, (b) employment and support allowance, (c) disability living allowance and (d) housing benefit in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral; and what the average duration of each such claim is.

Esther McVey: Employment and support allowance and disability living allowance claimants, by duration of current claim, can be found at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-work-pensions/series/dwp-statistics-tabulation-tool
	Guidance for users is available at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/203439/tab-tool-guidance.pdf
	Jobseeker's allowance claimants by duration of current claim can be found at:
	www.nomisweb.co.uk
	Guidance for users is available at:
	http://www.nomisweb.co.uk/home/newuser.asp
	Statistics on housing benefit claimants can be found at:
	https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/jsf/dataCatalogueExplorer.xhtml
	Guidance on how to extract the information required can be found at:
	https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Stat-Xplore_User_Guide.htm
	The information requested for housing benefit by duration of claim is not currently available, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Universal Credit

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how his Department intended to uprate work allowances before adoption of the new policy plans referred to on page 135, box 4.5, of the Economic and Fiscal Outlook published by the Office for Budget Responsibility on 5 December 2013.

Esther McVey: In the autumn statement 2012, Government included a working assumption that universal credit work allowances would be uprated by 1% in 2014-15 and 2015-16.
	However, the policy aim in universal credit has always been that the new work allowances should ensure that overall benefit expenditure is sustainable, while improving work incentives and creating a better targeted and more generous system.
	We believe the plan set out in the autumn statement 2013 achieves this balance.

Universal Credit

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people will be subject to improved incentives to work as a result of universal credit following the adoption of the new policy plans referred to on page 135, box 4.5, of the Economic and Fiscal Outlook published by the Office for Budget Responsibility on 5 December 2013.

Esther McVey: Universal credit will encourage claimants to move into employment by allowing individuals to keep more of their income as they move into work and by introducing a smoother and more transparent reduction of benefits.
	Once universal credit is fully rolled out, there will be a reduction of around 90% in the number of households losing more than 70% of their earnings when starting work of 10 hours per week.
	Overall it is estimated that up to 300,000 individuals will move into work as a result of universal credit, through improved financial incentives, increased simplicity of the system and increased conditionality.
	These estimates are consistent with the policy assumptions underpinning the universal credit costings published by the Office for Budget Responsibility.

Universal Credit

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people will be subject to improved incentives to increase the number of hours they work as a result of universal credit following the adoption of the new policy plans referred to on page 135, box 4.5, of the Economic and Fiscal Outlook published by the Office for Budget Responsibility on 5 December 2013.

Esther McVey: Universal credit will encourage claimants to move into employment and to work more by introducing a smoother and more transparent reduction of benefits when they increase their earnings.
	In universal credit, there will be virtually no households with marginal deduction rates above 80%, compared to 800,000 households in today's benefit system. 1.5 million will have improved incentives to work more under universal credit.
	These estimates are consistent with the policy assumptions underpinning the universal credit costings published by the Office for Budget Responsibility.

Universal Credit

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people will be financially better off as a result of universal credit following the adoption of the new policy plans referred to on page 135, box 4.5, of the Economic and Fiscal Outlook published by the Office for Budget Responsibility on 5 December 2013.

Esther McVey: Once fully rolled out, 3 million households gain on average £177 per month (in 2013-14 prices) from universal credit after taking account of the work allowance freeze. Transitional protection will ensure that there will be no cash losers under universal credit, providing their circumstances remain the same.
	These estimates are consistent with the policy assumptions underpinning the universal credit costings published by the Office for Budget Responsibility.

Universal Credit

Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 13 January 2014, Official Report, column 455W, on universal credit, how many of the recruited IT specialists will be (a) on the Civil Service pay grade system and (b) contracted separately; and what estimate he has made of the cost of salaries of specialists in the latter category.

Esther McVey: At present we are unable to provide estimates for the number of IT specialists that will be recruited in categories (a) and (b) as this activity is ongoing.

Universal Credit

Andy Sawford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what funding will be made available to local authorities to implement the local support services framework for universal credit; and when such funding will be made available.

Esther McVey: Work to understand the resource implications of LSS continues with a range of organisations. Discussions about the most appropriate means of distributing LSS funding continue with local authority associations—details will be provided as soon as possible.

Vacancies: Corby

Andy Sawford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many (a) full-time and (b) part-time employment vacancies were advertised in each Jobcentre Plus office serving Corby constituency in each month since May 2010.

Esther McVey: In November 2012 we introduced Universal Jobmatch, which replaced adverts in Jobcentre Plus offices, therefore we only have figures to meet this request up to that point. The full and part-time vacancy numbers for the Corby constituency from May 2010 to November 2012 are in Table 1. We are unable to provide this information to Jobcentre level.
	
		
			 Table 1 (NOMIS) 
			  Full-time vacancies Part-time vacancies Total 
			 May 2010 677 241 918 
			 June 2010 641 146 787 
			 July 2010 709 152 861 
			 August 2010 865 193 1,058 
			 October 2010 1,323 181 1,504 
			 November 2010 1,080 348 1,428 
			 December 2010 792 140 932 
			 January 2011 533 73 606 
			 February 2011 673 340 1,013 
			 March 2011 535 150 685 
			 April 2011 724 69 793 
			 May 2011 424 118 542 
			 June 2011 712 103 815 
			 July 2011 927 90 1,017 
			 August 2011 877 127 1,004 
			 September 2011 748 117 865 
			 October 2011 999 285 1,284 
			 November 2011 963 167 1,130 
			 December 2011 839 182 1,021 
			 January 2012 579 162 741 
			 February 2012 413 218 631 
			 March 2012 695 187 882 
			 April 2012 918 226 1,144 
			 May 2012 597 168 765 
			 June 2012 986 276 1,262 
			 July 2012 1,159 161 1,320 
			 August 2012 990 172 1,162 
			 September 2012 1,791 210 2,001 
			 October 2012 1,026 224 1,250 
			 November 2012 1,129 423 1,552 
		
	
	Interpretation of Nomis data needs to take account of changes in recent years to Jobcentre Plus procedures for taking and handling vacancies. These figures are not fully comparable over time and may not indicate developments in the labour market. A more detailed explanation is available on the Nomis website.

Work Capability Assessment

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what advice he has given to ATOS relating to the Armed Forces Covenant when considering assessments in relation to the work capability assessments of former members of HM armed forces; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Penning: The Armed Forces Covenant helps ensure that serving personnel, veterans and their families are not disadvantaged in the benefits system.
	Agreed procedures for dealing with employment and support allowance claims from severely disabled military personnel are contained in Schedule 28 of the contract between DWP and Atos.
	When a Service Medical Board decides a severely disabled person can no longer be employed in the armed forces and should be discharged, DWP now uses the Service Medical Board evidence to determine eligibility for employment and support allowance to avoid unnecessary face-to-face assessments.

Work Capability Assessment

Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  if he will make changes to the Atos assessment system to make sure that those with severe progressive conditions, who would struggle to find employment, are not deemed fit to work by Atos;
	(2)  what guidance his Department has issued to Atos Healthcare on the fitness to work of those with (a) multiple sclerosis and (b) other severe progressive conditions.

Michael Penning: Under current arrangements, claimants with severe progressive conditions will be placed in the employment and support allowance support group if they meet the legislative criteria and will not be required to undertake work-related activity unless they request to do so.
	It should be noted, however, that eligibility for employment and support allowance—determined through the work capability assessment—is based on the functional impact of the claimant's condition(s) and not the condition(s) itself or themselves. Assessments consider whether the claimant is functionally capable of work, not their employability.
	DWP decision makers and not Atos health care professionals make the decision on eligibility for employment and support allowance. In doing so they consider all the available evidence, including advice from the Atos health care professional. Guidance and training for Atos Healthcare professionals, agreed with the Department, is contained within Schedule 28 of the contract between DWP and Atos and contains a number of documents relating to severe progressive conditions, an evidence based protocol on multiple sclerosis and a learning set on multiple sclerosis and motor neurone disease.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Planning Authorities

Tessa Munt: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will bring forward legislative proposals to include planning enforcement in the statutory functions of planning authorities.

Nicholas Boles: Local planning authorities already have statutory planning enforcement powers, which were significantly strengthened through the Localism Act and through reformed temporary stop notices.

Betting Shops

John Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps his Department is taking to support communities in controlling the number of high street betting shops.

Nicholas Boles: Local authorities already have a range of powers and tools which they can use to deal with this issue and support mixed and vibrant local high streets.

Park Home Residents

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps the Government have taken to protect park home residents from excessive charges by site owners.

Kris Hopkins: For far too long site owners were able to exploit park home owners, increasing their pitch fees year on year with no explanation, but not any more. Thanks to the Mobile Homes Act 2013, home owners now know what they are being asked to pay for and why.

Burial: Fees and Charges

Lorely Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of recent changes in burial fees charged by local authorities.

Brandon Lewis: My Department does not collect data on the changes in burial fees charged by local authorities.
	Fees and burial charges vary substantially. Research in 2000-01 found a range from £6 to £4,000 for burial rights in a double grave.
	The last Administration told councils to hike up town hall charges and fees. We disagree—councils should not be hammering families with stealth taxes.
	While local authorities have the power to cover their costs on burial plots, the loss of a loved one should never be an opportunity for profit.
	Councils should instead be making sensible savings by cutting the waste and inefficiency that is endemic in the public sector.

Council Housing

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many council houses have been sold under the right to buy scheme since May 2010; and how many council houses have been completed in that time.

Kris Hopkins: Statistics on right to buy sales are published in the Department’s live tables 691, which is available at the following link:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-social-housing-sales
	Over the period from April 2010 to September 2013, there have been 16,349 right to buy sales of local authority owned dwellings.
	Statistics on delivery of affordable housing are published in the Department’s live tables 1000, which is available at the following link:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-affordable-housing-supply
	The data underlying in this table can be used to estimate that 5,720 dwellings for social or affordable rent were built or acquired by local authorities over the period from April 2010 to March 2013.
	The one-for-one replacement policy applies to additional local authority sales—that is, sales above the level forecast before the changes were made—that have taken place since the reinvigoration of the right to buy in April 2012.
	Since the reinvigoration, local authorities have sold 10,953 homes, approximately 6,400 of which are additional. Since April 2012, 1,662 dwellings have been started on site or acquired.
	There will invariably be a certain time lag between the right to buy sale and the construction of the new build home, but the replacement timetable is in control of the local authority. If a council were to fail to spend the receipts within three years, it would be required to return the unspent money to Government with interest. This provides a strong financial incentive for any slow-coach councils to use this new funding and get on with building more homes for local people.

Families: Disadvantaged

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what progress his Department has made towards the goal of turning around 120,000 families by 2015.

Kris Hopkins: Local authorities are making good progress and the programme is on track. As at the end of October 2013, they had turned around over 22,000 families; identified over 92,000 families; and were working with around half of these families.
	A breakdown by individual local authority can be found here:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/troubled-families-progress-information-at-september-2013-and-families-turned-around-at-october-2013
	The latest performance information and results claims are currently being submitted by local authorities and collated by my Department. These will be published in due course.

Homelessness

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  how much each London local authority spent on homelessness in each year since 2009-10;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the gross expenditure by local authorities on homelessness in each English region in (a) 2009-10, (b) 2010-11, (c) 2011-12 and (d) 2012-13;
	(3)  what estimate he has made of the gross cost to local authorities in each English region of temporary accommodation in (a) 2009-10, (b) 2010-11, (c) 2011-12 and (d) 2012-13;
	(4)  what estimate he has made of the likely gross cost to local authorities in each English region of (a) homelessness and (b) temporary accommodation in 2013-14;
	(5)  what the gross expenditure was in each London local authority from the General Fund on homelessness in each year from 2009-10 to 2012-13;
	(6)  what the gross expenditure was in each London local authority on temporary accommodation in each year from 2009-10 to 2012-13.

Kris Hopkins: Figures showing local authority expenditure on homelessness and temporary accommodation can be found online:
	2009-10 outturn:
	http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20121108165934/http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/statistics/xls/2031752.xls
	2010-11 outturn:
	https://www.gov.uk.government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/16450/Revenue_Outturn_RO4_data_2010-11_by_LA_-_27-Nov-2012-v2.xls
	2011-12 outturn:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/244494/Revenue_Outturn__RO4__data_2011-12_by_LA_-_24-Sep-2013.xls
	2012-13 outturn:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/261816/Revenue_Outturn_RO4_data_2012-13_by_LA_-_28-Nov-2013.xls
	My Department does not produce statistics by the former Government office regions.
	Net current expenditure on homelessness by local authorities in England was £298 million in 2009-10, £343 million in 2010-11, £305 million in 2011-12 and £342 million in 2012-13. This covers expenditure on temporary accommodation, homelessness prevention, homelessness support and administration.
	Homelessness is lower now than in 27 of the last 30 years. We have retained a strong homelessness safety net protected in law, supported by £470 million of funding (over and above general grant to local authorities) in the current spending review to prevent and tackle homelessness, rough sleeping and repossessions.

Housing Benefit: Social Rented Housing

David Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the cost to local authorities from evictions of families who have fallen into arrears since the introduction of the under-occupancy penalty.

Kris Hopkins: My Department has made no such estimates.
	However, I would refer the hon. Member to my answer of 28 November 2013, Official Report, column 389-390W, which observed there has been no notable rise in eviction claims, and my answer of 27 November 2013, Official Report, column 340W, which observed there had been no adverse rise in arrears, voids or rent collection.
	The removal of the spare room subsidy is estimated to save £490 million of taxpayers' money in Great Britain in 2013-14 by reducing the benefit bill, helping pay off the budget deficit left by the last Administration. The measure also encourages the more effective use of social housing, by addressing the under-occupation of family homes.

Housing: Construction

Harriett Baldwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many new dwelling completions per 1,000 housing stock there have been since December 2006 in each local authority area.

Kris Hopkins: My Department publishes historic figures for housebuilding completions by district, at live tables 253 and 253a, which can be found at:
	www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-house-building
	Historic dwelling stock estimates, by district, can be found at Live Table 125:
	www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-dwelling-stock-including-vacants
	The underlying information is thus reasonably accessible for any further analysis that my hon. Friend may wish to undertake.

Local Government Finance

Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which local authorities were in receipt of the Efficiency Support Grant Bonus in the latest period for which figures are available; and how much each such local authority received.

Brandon Lewis: On 21 May 2013 the following local authorities received Efficiency Support Grant as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
			 Hastings 974,522 
			 Bolsover 1,063,734 
			 Pendle 1,025,539 
			 Hyndburn 1,272,186 
			 Burnley 1,859,395 
			 Barrow-in-Furness 1,175,118 
			 Great Yarmouth 1,864,318

Local Growth Fund

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what weight he will place on (a) sustainability and (b) cycling promotion when assessing bids under the Local Growth Fund.

Kris Hopkins: holding answer 17 January 2014
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Minister for Cities and the Constitution, my right hon. Friend the Member for Tunbridge Wells (Greg Clark) on 16 December 2013, Official Report, column 497W.

New Towns

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  whether the Government have considered recommendations for any sites for new towns or cities in Oxfordshire since May 2010;
	(2)  what locations the Government have considered for new towns or cities in the South East since 2010.

Kris Hopkins: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to my right hon. Friend the Member for Chesham and Amersham (Mrs Gillan) on 17 January 2014, Official Report, column 694W.

Non-domestic Rates: Public Houses

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent discussions his Department has had on reforming the way the rateable value of pubs is determined for the purposes of business rates.

Brandon Lewis: The Government announced in the autumn statement that they will consider longer term administrative reforms of business rates which maintain the aggregate tax yield. We will publish a discussion paper in the spring and consult with interested parties including those from the pub sector.

Parking

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will bring forward legislative proposals to prevent local authorities imposing excessive parking charges and pursuing aggressive parking enforcement.

Brandon Lewis: Councils should be treating motorists fairly, not treating parking charges and fines as a way of raising revenue. On 6 December we published a consultation on local authority parking that sets out our plans to reform the rules around local authority parking. The closing date for the consultation is 14 February 2014.

Private Rented Housing

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what steps his Department has taken to promote longer tenancies for tenants in the private rented sector;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the effect of measures to promote longer tenancies in the private rented sector.

Kris Hopkins: The Government announced in October 2013 that they would encourage landlords and tenants to consider longer tenancies by publishing a model tenancy agreement in early 2014 and finalising a Tenants' Charter. This work is under way.
	The English Housing Survey includes questions on the length of tenancies, and trends in tenancy lengths will be kept under review.

Procurement

Christopher Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what weighting his Department's procurement procedures give to (a) the location of a company and its workforce, (b) the extent to which a company has a strong environmental record, (c) whether the company is a social enterprise and (d) other company history prior performance.

Brandon Lewis: DCLG's procurement policy is to award contracts on the basis of value for money, which means the optimum combination of cost and quality over the lifetime of the project. Public sector procurers are required to assess value for money from the perspective of the contracting authority, using criteria linked to the subject matter of the contract, including compliance with the published specification. Such criteria cannot include supplier type or location.
	Wider socio-economic criteria can be taken into account at tender evaluation stage if they relate directly to the subject matter of a contract from the point of view of the contracting authority.

Procurement

Christopher Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many and what value of contracts procured by his Department in the last five years was carried out below EU thresholds.

Brandon Lewis: Departmental records show that the value of contracts below the relevant EU procurement thresholds were as follows. The figures provided exclude low value procurements (less than £20,000 in 2009 to 2012 and less than £10,000 in 2013) which were undertaken by individual business units.
	
		
			  EU threshold (£) Number of contracts Value (£ million) 
			 2009 139,893 114 6.3 
			 2010 101,323 69 2.6 
			 2011 101,323 40 1.5 
			 2012 113,057 34 1.7 
			 2013 113,057 44 1.6 
		
	
	Information provided relates to calendar years to coincide with periods covered by EU thresholds, which are updated every two years and applied on 1 January.

Procurement

Christopher Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what proportion and value of his Department's contracts have been let (a) under the restricted procedure, (b) by the open procedure, (c) via framework agreements and (d) via a tendering process involving the use of a pre-qualification questionnaire in each of the last three years.

Brandon Lewis: Departmental records show the value and proportion of contracts as follows:
	
		
			  Restricted Procedure Open Procedure Framework Pre-qualification questionnaire 
			  No. % Value (£m) No. % Value (£ m) No. % Value (£m) No % Value (£m) 
			 2009 6 3 31.3 0 0 0 27 13 34.6 6 3 31.3 
			 2010 1 1 0.1 0 0 0 17 16 3.2 1 1 0.1 
			 2011 0 0 0 1 1 12.4 37 40 7.2 0 0 0 
			 2012 0 0 0 0 0 0 22 29 9.4 0 0 0 
			 2013 0 0 0 3 3 1.6 33 35 27.6 0 0 0 
		
	
	Information provided relates to calendar years in order to coincide with periods covered by EU thresholds which are updated every two years and applied on 1 January. The table illustrates the Department's move to support small businesses, away from overly bureaucratic pre-qualification questionnaire and towards open tendering.

Procurement

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what proportion of his Department's overall procurement spend for each of the previous three financial years was (a) spent on joint procurement exercises with other departments and (b) shared between different organisations within the same department group.

Brandon Lewis: holding answer 15 January 2014
	My Department uses the centrally negotiated framework agreements operated by the Crown Commercial service (formerly Government Procurement Service) to purchase common goods and services where typically Whitehall and other public bodies volumes have been leveraged to deliver value for money for taxpayers.
	A list of the Government Procurement Framework Agreements that the Department participates in is listed in my answer of 18 November 2013, Official Report, columns 654-55W.
	Details of our procurement spending are provided in the following table:
	
		
			 £ million 
			 Financial year Core DCLG procurement spend Spend through central framework 
			 2010-11 222.6 24.4 
			 2011-12 155.4 12.7 
			 2012-13 135.5 13.7 
		
	
	There is no procurement spend that is through contracts accessible to one or more organisations within the DCLG family but not accessible to organisations outside the Department.
	The table reflects the simple fact that we have reduced departmental spending, and should not be misinterpreted as any reduction in our commitment to joint procurement.
	The DCLG group is reducing its annual running costs by 41% in real terms between 2010-11 and 2014-15. This equates to net savings of at least £532 million over this spending review period.

Sleeping Rough: Greater London

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many people were sleeping rough in London in each of the last three years.

Kris Hopkins: The annual rough sleeper headline figure provides a snapshot of rough sleeping levels in England on a single night. The following table sets out the number of people counted or estimated as sleeping rough in each of the last three years in London.
	
		
			 Rough sleeping in London 
			 Autumn Number 
			 2010 415 
			 2011 446 
			 2012 557 
			 Source: Counts or estimates submitted to DCLG by local authorities. 
		
	
	The change in rough sleeping in London has been influenced by the “No Second Night Out” initiative, which has actively sought to identify—and then help—more rough sleepers, uncovering rough sleeping which was previously hidden or under-reported. This is in contrast to the counts under the last Administration which systematically under-estimated or ignored the true level of rough sleeping.
	We took the important decision to introduce a more accurate assessment of rough sleeping levels to ensure we have a clearer national picture with information from every local authority. Figures collected previously did not include information from the majority of local authorities and so did not give a reliable assessment of the extent of rough sleeping.
	As a result of the successful introduction of the “No Second Night Out” initiative in London, which we are supporting other areas across England to take up, more rough sleepers are now being found and given the help they need. Around three-quarters of new rough sleepers in London do not spend a second night out.
	According to CHAIN (Combined Homeless and Information Network) data, the majority of rough sleepers in London are foreign nationals.
	My Department's activities have included education campaigns led by the voluntary sector warning those coming here without appropriate support about the dangers of ending up destitute and sleeping rough on our streets. European Economic Area nationals who are begging or sleeping rough will be administratively removed. From the beginning of the year they will then be barred from re-entry for 12 months, unless they can prove they have a proper reason to be here, such as a job.
	More broadly, we are investing £470 million over the current spending review period to help local authorities and voluntary sector partners prevent and tackle homelessness, rough sleeping and repossessions. This includes £34 million to the Greater London Authority to tackle rough sleeping across the capital; £20 million to support the national roll out of the “No Second Night Out” standard and protect vital front-line services and, £5 million for a Social Impact Bond which we have developed with the Greater London Authority to work with approximately 831 people with significant experience of rough sleeping in London over the past two years.
	We have also supported the voluntary sector to deliver “StreetLink” a national rough sleeping hotline, website and app, to connect rough sleepers to local services. In London, “No Second Night Out” is making a big difference. The CHAIN annual data for 2012-13 show that “No Second Night Out” helped ensure that three quarters (75%) of new rough sleepers spend just a single night on London's streets. All local authorities have committed to adopt the “No Second Night Out” approach.
	The information is also available in the statistical release “Rough sleeping in England: autumn 2012”, at
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/rough-sleeping-in-england-autumn-2012
	More detailed information on rough sleeping in London is collected through CHAIN (Combined Homeless and Information Network) for the Greater London Authority. This contains detailed information on London's rough sleepers collected over the year such as age, sex, nationality and support needs.
	The CHAIN annual report for 2012-13 is available at
	http://www.broadwaylondon.org/CHAIN/Reports/StreettoHomeReports.html

Sleeping Rough: North East

Alan Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many people were sleeping rough in the North East in each of the last three years.

Kris Hopkins: Figures for individual local authorities are published in Table 1 of the Department's “Rough Sleeping in England” publications for each of autumn 2010, autumn 2011 and autumn 2012. These are available at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/homelessness-statistics
	My Department does not publish statistics by the former Government office regions.
	We took the important decision to introduce a more accurate assessment of rough sleeping levels to ensure we have a clearer national picture with information from every local authority. Figures collected previously did not include information from the majority of local authorities and so did not give a reliable assessment of the extent of rough sleeping.
	We are investing £470 million over the spending review period to help local authorities and voluntary sector partners prevent and tackle homelessness, rough sleeping and repossessions. This includes £20 million to support the national roll out of the “No Second Night Out” standard and protect vital front line services.
	In London, “No Second Night Out” is making a big difference. The CHAIN annual data for 2012-13 shows that No Second Night Out helped ensure that three quarters (75%) of new rough sleepers spend just a single night on London's streets; the majority of rough sleepers in London are foreign nationals. All local authorities have committed to adopt the “No Second Night Out” approach. We have also supported the voluntary sector to deliver “StreetLink” a national rough sleeping hotline, website and app, to connect rough sleepers to local services.

Social Rented Housing

Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many void social housing properties with (a) one bedroom, (b) two bedrooms, (c) three bedrooms and (d) four bedrooms there are in each local authority area.

Kris Hopkins: The Department does not hold this information. Information on void (or vacant) dwellings is collected through the local authority housing statistics return but these figures are not split by the number of bedrooms.

Social Rented Housing: Havering

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many houses have been brought back into use in the London Borough of Havering as a result of changes to the under-occupancy penalty.

Kris Hopkins: This information is not collected centrally.
	The removal of the spare room subsidy is helping make better use of our housing stock through encouraging the effective use of social housing. There were approaching 1 million extra rooms being paid for by housing benefit for working age social rented sector tenants; this is not affordable or acceptable when others are living in overcrowded accommodation.
	This change will help us get to grips with the housing benefit bill giving savings of nearly £500 million this year, ensuring a fair deal for the taxpayer and helping tackle the deficit left by the last Administration.

Social Security Benefits

Andy Sawford: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what discussions he has had with (a) the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and (b) the Chancellor of the Exchequer on funding for ongoing local welfare provision following the withdrawal of support from the Department for Work and Pensions to local authorities in April 2015.

Brandon Lewis: Ministers have regular discussions with other Government Departments on matters of mutual interest.

Telephone Services

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 25 November 2013, Official Report, columns 87-8W, on telephone services, which organisations receive grant funding from or have contracts with his Department; how many telephone lines each organisation operates with the prefix (a) 0845, (b) 0844 and (c) 0843; how many calls each line has received in the last 12 months; and whether alternative numbers charged at the BT local rate are available in each case.

Brandon Lewis: holding answer 16 January 2014
	It would incur disproportionate cost to ascertain the telephone numbers of every organisation which receives grant funding or has contracts with the Department—as this will include every local authority in England.
	As part of my Department's transparency agenda, details of our spending over £250 (including grant funding) are routinely published on our website.

EDUCATION

Academies

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much (a) start-up, (b) revenue and (c) capital funding has been allocated to 16-19 academies and free schools that have opened since 2010.

Edward Timpson: Nine 16-19 academies and free schools have opened since 2010. In their recent report “Establishing Free Schools”, the National Audit Office said that the Department had set up new schools quickly and at low cost.
	To date, the 16-19 academies and free schools have been allocated an average of £6,853,613 each in start-up, revenue and capital funding.
	This is in comparison to an average cost of £25 million per school under the last Government's Building Schools for the Future programme.

Academies

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many (a) schools and (b) academies that have established sixth forms since 2010 were found to be (i) inadequate and (ii) satisfactory or requiring improvement by Ofsted at its last inspection.

David Laws: This question is a matter for Ofsted. I have asked Her Majesty's Chief Inspector, Sir Michael Wilshaw, to write to the hon. Member. A copy of his reply has been placed in the House Library.

Academies

Pat Glass: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what financial arrangements have been made by his Department with any former private schools that have converted to academy status since May 2010.

Edward Timpson: There is no specific budget for fee paying schools to convert to the state sector. Each application is considered on its merits. Once converted, the funding arrangements for each school are set out in the funding agreements, published on the Department for Education's website.

Academies: ICT

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many academies have supplied tablets to their students; whether such academies are required to impose filters on such tablets; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Timpson: The Department for Education does not hold information on school equipment. This is held by individual schools. Academies can make their own decisions on ICT expenditure, including the purchase of tablets.
	Individual schools are responsible for ensuring that ICT systems are secure. This should address the following:
	1. Protecting pupils from external threats, which may be brought into the school through an internet connection or external media, or through websites with inappropriate content, online chat rooms, online gaming, etc.
	2. Protecting pupils from internal threats, such as internal e-mail and other communication systems, and cyber-bullying.
	3. A secure internet service should have filtering and user monitoring facilities on e-mail, web browsing, social networking and messaging services.
	CEOP guidance is available at:
	https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/teachers/

Children in Care

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  what steps he is taking to ensure that local authorities undertake assessments of all looked-after children and their parents sufficiently to identify their needs before they return home;
	(2)  what plans he has to ensure that the rights and benefits proposed for voluntarily accommodated children in the consultation, Looked-after children: improving permanence, are properly applied to those children under interim or full care orders;
	(3)  what steps he is taking to ensure that all looked-after children receive the support when returning home needed to increase the likelihood of a successful return.

Edward Timpson: Improving return home practice and support is a priority for this Government.
	Where a child is to remain subject to a care order after returning home, the regulations set out clear requirements to undertake a robust assessment of the parents’ suitability to care for their child, to meet their child's physical, emotional and educational needs and to provide a safe and stable family environment.
	The decision to return a child to their parents under a care order is subject to the scrutiny of a senior nominated officer within the local authority who must be satisfied that the assessment has been properly undertaken, that both the child and their Independent Reviewing Officer have been consulted and that the decision will safeguard and promote the child's welfare. While we recognise that practice must be improved for all children, we are confident that the current statutory framework is robust for those children subject to a care order who are placed with their parents ('Placement of a child with P' regulations 15-20, Care Planning, Placement and Case Review (England) Regulations 2010).
	The proposals that were set out in the Improving Permanence for looked after children consultation aimed to address the particular issues faced by voluntarily accommodated children who return home for whom the regulatory framework is, at present, less clear. This is also the case for those children whose interim or full care order has been, or will be discharged, following the return to their family.
	We are reviewing what changes may be needed to the statutory framework to ensure that local authority duties are clarified for these children returning home. In particular, we are committed to working with the sector to explore how we can improve assessments for these children to ensure that the decision to return a child home, regardless of their legal status, is based on an assessment of the child's support needs, the capacity of the family to meet these needs and the on-going support required to ensure the return home is a success.
	For those children that will remain the subject of a care order following the return home, support and services should be set out in their care plan and reviewed regularly as required by the statutory framework for all looked after children. This is not the case for those children who have been voluntarily accommodated or where the care order has been discharged at the point of returning home as they cease to be looked after. The consultation set out proposals to introduce a duty to provide a “return plan” identifying the support and services the local authority will provide when a child returns home who has been voluntarily accommodated. We recognise that it would also be important to extend this provision to children returning home where the care order will be discharged at the point of return.
	We are also commissioning research to understand “what works” when returning children home, how local authorities can share and promote effective practice and how they can use evidence based interventions to support families to ensure that children return home successfully.

Kings Science Academy

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what provision was made in the valuation of the property leased to Kings Science Academy Bradford of its (a) vacancy and letting history and (b) state of repair.

Edward Timpson: The Department for Education commissioned and received an independent report and valuation of the Hartley Business Park before Kings Science Academy entered into a lease for the site. This considered all issues relevant to the valuation of the property. The value of the property was assessed in accordance with the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors' valuation standards.

Kings Science Academy

David Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when his Department was first informed that Alan Lewis was not the Chair of Governors at the Kings Science Academy Bradford.

Edward Timpson: Kings Science Academy informed the Department for Education on 24 October 2012 that Alan Lewis was not Chair of Governors.

Kings Science Academy

David Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what audit his Department has undertaken of the use of school credit cards at the Kings Science Academy Bradford.

Edward Timpson: All academy trusts are required to appoint external auditors to audit their accounts, including the regularity and propriety of income and expenditure, on an annual basis. Academy trusts are required to publish their accounts, including the auditor's opinions, so the system is transparent.
	The Department's investigation report and the report of the Education Funding Agency's validation of the financial management and governance arrangements at Kings Science Academy, which provide the available details of work which the Department has directly performed at Kings Science Academy, are available on the Department's website at the following link:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/aboutdfe/executiveagencies/efa/efafundingfinance/b00212647/external-assurance/academiesfraud/investigation-reports

Kings Science Academy

David Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for Education who will own the buildings on the site of the Kings Science Academy Bradford once the lease of the site ends.

Edward Timpson: The site of Kings Science Academy is secured on a 20-year lease due to expire in 2032.
	Under the terms of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954, Kings Science Academy has a statutory right to renew the lease at the end of the 20-year term. This ensures that the capital investment in the site can continue to benefit the local community for the lifespan of the building.

Schools: Lincolnshire

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much has been paid to each secondary and primary school in north-east Lincolnshire in compensation for the loss of services from that local education authority since May 2010.

David Laws: Since May 2010, 36 academies in north east Lincolnshire have been paid for loss of services the local authority would have provided had they been maintained schools.
	Details of the payments and academies receiving payments are shown in the following table.
	
		
			 Date opened Academy name Total paid from May 2010 (£) 
			 1 September 2007 Havelock Academy 2,462,600 
			 1 September 2007 Oasis Academy Immingham 1,978,334 
			 1 September 2007 Oasis Academy Wintringham 2,220,794 
			 1 September 2010 Healing School, A Science Academy 1,793,481 
			 1 September 2010 Tollbar Academy 4,541,951 
			 1 September 2010 Cleethorpes Academy 1,834,249 
			 1 August 2011 Ormiston Maritime Academy 1,608,688 
			 1 August 2011 Humberston Academy 1,147,315 
			 1 August 2011 Signhills Academy 537,353 
			 1 September 2011 Cambridge Park Academy (Special School) 691,742 
			 1 September 2011 Humberston Park School (Special School) 370,581 
			 1 September 2011 John Whitgift Academy 753,434 
			 1 November 2011 Lisle Marsden Church of England Academy 521,979 
		
	
	
		
			 1 January 2012 East Ravendale C of E School Academy 102,022 
			 1 January 2012 New Waltham Academy 263,205 
			 1 January 2012 Scartho Junior Academy 212,816 
			 1 January 2012 Waltham Leas Primary Academy 388,503 
			 1 April 2012 Middlethorpe Primary Academy 177,149 
			 1 April 2012 Signhills Infants’ Academy 205,759 
			 1 April 2012 St Joseph's Catholic Primary Voluntary Academy 146,239 
			 1 July 2012 Weelsby Primary School 217,277 
			 1 August 2012 Bursar Primary Academy 138,075 
			 1 August 2012 Thrunscoe Primary Academy 166,736 
			 1 August 2012 Yarborough Primary School 196,260 
			 1 September 2012 Oasis Academy Nunsthorpe 368,145 
			 1 October 2012 Ormiston South Parade 252,855 
			 1 October 2012 Edward Heneage Primary School 152,491 
			 1 October 2012 Strand Primary Academy 132,625 
			 1 November 2012 Macaulay Primary Academy 274,785 
			 1 December 2012 St Mary’s Catholic Primary School Voluntary Academy (Grimsby) 124,090 
			 1 December 2012 Wybers Wood Academy 207,137 
			 1 April 2013 Old Clee Primary School 184,237 
			 1 May 2013 Willows Academy 40,349 
			 1 August 2013 Eastfield Primary School 45,188 
			 1 September 2013 Holy Family Catholic Academy 79,050 
			 1 September 2013 Reynolds Primary School 71,946 
			 Total  24,609,439

Schools: Nurses

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many qualified school nurses there were in (a) North Swindon constituency and (b) Swindon Borough in each of the last three years.

David Laws: The School Workforce Census1 includes the number of nurses employed in schools in North Swindon constituency and in schools in the Swindon local authority area.
	1 Available at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-workforce-in-england-november-2012

Schools: Teaching Methods

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential benefits of (a) the Mantle of the Expert method and (b) other alternative approaches to teaching and learning in schools.

David Laws: The Department for Education has not made any formal assessment of the potential benefits of the Mantle of the Expert method or other alternative approaches to teaching and learning in schools.
	Individual head teachers can decide whether they wish to adopt the Mantle of the Expert method or other alternative approaches to teaching and learning in schools. Overall the evidence suggests that pupils benefit from a range of teaching approaches, with particular approaches suitable in certain subjects and circumstances.

Sixth Form Colleges

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many sixth form colleges have had their financial health graded as inadequate by the Education Funding Agency in each of the last five years.

Matthew Hancock: The information requested is as follows:
	
		
			 Sixth form college financial health grades for each of the last five academic years, 2008/09 to 2012/13 
			 Academic year Number of sixth form colleges with inadequate financial health grade 
			 2008/09 1— 
			 2009/10 2 
			 2010/11 1 
			 2011/12 1 
			 2012/13 1 
			 1 The Department does not hold this information.

HEALTH

Accident and Emergency Departments

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of patients attending accident and emergency departments were seen in under four hours in the first week of January of each of the last five years.

Jane Ellison: The following table shows the proportion of patients attending accident and emergency (A&E) departments (all types) who were transferred, admitted or discharged in under four hours. To ensure consistency, data are provided for the equivalent week in each year, which is the 40th week of the year, for the last five years.
	
		
			 Proportion of people who attended A&E departments (all types) who were transferred, admitted or discharged in under four hours in week 40 for the last five years 
			  Week ending1 A&E performance standard (percentage) Proportion of patients who were transferred, admitted or discharged within four hours of arrival (percentage) 
			 2009-102 3 January 2010 98 96.8 
			 2010-113 2 January 2011 95 93.4 
			 2011-124 8 January 2012 95 94.7 
			 2012-13 6 January 2013 95 93.0 
		
	
	
		
			 2013-14 5 January 2014 95 94.3 
			 1 Data provided are for the 40th week of the year. 2 Weekly data for 2009-10 are management information and are not publicly available. The official source of A&E performance data at this time was the Quarterly Monitoring Collection. 3 The official source of A&E performance weekly data for 2010-11 was the Quarterly Monitoring collection. 4 For 2011-12, week 40 ended on 8 January 2012. Source: NHS England 
		
	
	It is helpful context to include Hospital Episode Statistics.
	There are three measures of waiting times in the NHS Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) for A&E. These are time to assessment; time to treatment; and time to departure. The information requested is shown in the following tables. Information for 2012-13 is not yet available.
	
		
			 Mean and Median duration to assessment1 for attendances at A&E departments (all types) from April 2008 to March 2012 in England 
			 Minutes 
			  Mean Median 
			 2008-09 60.8 7 
			 2009-10 76.8 9 
			 2010-11 64.5 10 
			 2011-12 33.1 8 
			 1 Duration to assessment: This is the total amount of time in minutes between the patients' arrival and their initial assessment in the A&E department. This is calculated as the difference in time from arrival at A&E to the time when the patient is initially assessed. Note: Activity in English NHS Hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector. Source: HES, Health and Social Care Information Centre 
		
	
	
		
			 Mean and Median duration to treatment1 for attendances at A&E departments (all types) from April 2008 to March 2012 in England 
			 Minutes 
			  Mean Median 
			 2008-09 115.6 55 
			 2009-10 102.0 55 
			 2010-11 98.4 58 
			 2011-12 75.4 52 
			 1 Duration to treatment: This is the total amount of time in minutes between the patients' arrival and the start of their treatment. This is calculated as the difference in time from arrival at A&E to the time when the patient began treatment. Note: Activity in English NHS Hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector. Source: HES, Health and Social Care Information Centre 
		
	
	
		
			 Mean and Median duration to departure1 for attendances at accident and emergency departments (all types) from April 2008 to March 2012 in England 
			 Minutes 
			  Mean Median 
			 2008-09 136.2 117 
			 2009-10 134.7 122 
			 2010-11 145.7 130 
		
	
	
		
			 2011-12 138.2 125 
			 1 Duration to departure: This is total amount of time spent in minutes in an A&E department. This is calculated as the difference in time from arrival at A&E to the time when the patient is discharged from A&E care. This includes being admitted to hospital, dying in the department, discharged with no follow up or discharged and referred to another specialist department. Note: Activity in English NHS Hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector. Source: HES, Health and Social Care Information Centre

Alcoholic Drinks and Drugs: Rehabilitation

Mike Wood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance is given to commissioners to ensure that quality of provision is considered in the commissioning of drug and alcohol treatment services; and what arrangements are in place to monitor commissioning processes.

Jane Ellison: Promotion of a suite of substance misuse related guidelines from NICE and other key national clinical guidelines underpins Public Health England's (PHE) advice to local drug and alcohol treatment commissioners. PHE also publishes a wide range of guidance, ‘evidence into practice’ briefings and toolkits for commissioners to help them commission a range of high quality, evidence based services. These are available through the Recovery Resources website at:
	www.nta.nhs.uk/recovery-resources.aspx
	In addition, PHE also supports local authorities, through Joint Strategic Needs Assessment, to help them assess local need for drug and alcohol treatment and commission an appropriate balance of quality provision, in line with the best available evidence. This involves providing expertise and support, benchmarking performance and sharing best practice.
	Local authorities are responsible for ensuring that appropriate clinical governance is in place for services they commission from the public health grant.
	The Care Quality Commission regulates residential, inpatient and prescribing drug treatment services, where they employ a professional as defined in registration regulation (effectively a doctor, nurse or social worker).

Bank Services

Christopher Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with what bank his Department's bank overdraft is held; and what fees and charges were payable on the core Department's bank overdraft in the last financial year.

Daniel Poulter: The Department complies with managing public money and so does not have an overdraft facility. All departmental bank accounts are held with the Government Banking Service to ensure our adherence to the policy and this allows open Treasury scrutiny.

Cancer

Bob Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS patients in (a) Coventry, (b) the West Midlands and (c) England waited longer than (i) one month and (ii) two months from an urgent referral for suspected cancer to the beginning of treatment in each of the last three years.

Jane Ellison: In order to answer the question (a) Coventry has been interpreted as University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire Trust and (b) West Midlands as West Midlands Trusts. The following tables show how many NHS patients waited longer than one and two months from an urgent referral for suspected cancer to the beginning of treatment in each of the last three years.
	
		
			 University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust 
			  Number of patients waited longer than one month Number of patients waited longer than two months 
			 2010-11 693 113 
			 2011-12 722 131 
			 2012-13 741 146 
			 2013-141 395 93 
		
	
	
		
			 West Midlands Trusts 
			  Number of patients waited longer than one month Number of patients waited longer than two months 
			 2010-11 7,890 1,655 
			 2011-12 8,509 1,718 
			 2012-13 8,836 1,670 
			 2013-141 4,683 914 
		
	
	
		
			 England 
			  Number of patients waited longer than one month Number of patients waited longer than two months 
			 2010-11 71,075 13,619 
			 2011-12 76,782 14,384 
			 2012-13 81,689 15,041 
			 2013-141 43,481 8,159 
			 1 Figure provided is a sum of patients seen in quarters 1 and 2 of 2013-14. Source: NHS England

Children’s Centres

Andy Sawford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the extent to which local authorities are providing live birth data to Sure Start children’s centres; and what guidance he has provided to local authorities and local NHS providers.

Daniel Poulter: The Department for Education and Department of Health commissioned Jean Gross, former Communication Champion for Children, to lead a group of early years and health professionals to explore ongoing barriers to information sharing in the early years and to identify examples of good practice. The group’s report, ‘Information Sharing in the Foundation Years’, was published in November 2013, along with the Government's response which can be found at:
	www.foundationyears.org.uk/information-sharing/
	The report found that much good local practice exists, with robust systems in some areas for sharing information about live birth data with Sure Start children’s centres. However, we know that there is variation across local areas in how well live birth data is shared.
	The Government agree that systems need to help professionals to work together and share information. The Department for Education's statutory guidance for children’s centres is clear that health services and local authorities should share information such as live birth data/effectively with children's centres on a regular basis.
	Jean Gross’s report found that lingering issues about information sharing are more about institutional and professional practice and culture than national regulation.
	Current legislation and guidance makes clear that information can already be shared where there are local agreements and processes in place that meet the legal requirements about confidentiality, consent and security of information.
	The Department of Health is taking forward work with NHS England and partners, including the Health and Social Care Information Centre, to explore how regular updates of bulk data on live births can be provided to local authorities, including the benefits of local sharing versus sharing nationally held data.

Clinical Commissioning Groups

Therese Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the 2014-15 and 2015-16 allocations by NHS England to clinical commissioning groups published on 18 December 2013, how much funding per patient has been allocated to each such group.

Daniel Poulter: A copy of the detailed clinical commissioning group allocations for 2014-15 and 2015-16, published by NHS England on 20 December 2013, has been placed in the Library, and is also available at:
	www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/ccg-allocation-big-table-v2.pdf

Dementia

Richard Fuller: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress his Department has made towards recruiting 10% of patients living with dementia to participate in a clinical trial.

Norman Lamb: In 2012-13, the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Clinical Research Network recruited 11,859 people to studies in dementia. This equates to 3.7% of the diagnosed population.
	As combined investment in dementia research by the NIHR, the Medical Research Council and the Economic and Social Research Council rises substantially to an estimated £66.3 million in 2014-15, this is expected to drive increased patient recruitment.

Dental Health

Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure that oral health is high on the public health agenda.

Daniel Poulter: Oral health remains an area of focus for public health. The Government are committed to improving oral health, particularly that of children. Significant inequalities in oral health persist despite overall reductions in decay levels.
	In recognition of this, the public health outcomes framework for 2013-16 contains an indicator measuring the prevalence of tooth decay in five-year-old children in England, by local authority area.
	Public Health England (PHE) is currently developing updated guidance for health care professionals on the prevention of dental disease, in the form of the third edition of “Delivering Better Oral Health”. The guidance will include specific advice regarding the provision of preventative dental advice and treatment and will be followed by a version for patients.
	PHE is also developing commissioning guides in order to help local authorities exercise their responsibilities to develop oral health strategies and commissioning oral health improvement programmes. This work is led by a national steering group, “Commissioning Better Oral Health”.
	Both sets of guidance will be published by May 2014.

Health

Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps NHS England has taken to ensure that (a) dentists and (b) other members of the primary care workforce actively promote its public health agenda.

Daniel Poulter: The public health functions agreement (S7A) for 2014-15—an agreement between the Secretary of State for Health and NHS England was published on 11 November. This formalises expectations and a shared approach between the Department of Health and NHS England, supported by Public Health England to drive improvements in population health.
	“Delivering Better Oral Health”, first published in 2007, sets out an evidence base for better prevention of dental disease. Data collection shows that this is being implemented in primary care, evidenced by the high rate of fluoride varnish applications recorded. Commissioners are also able to contract for specific local enhanced services, for example, funding dentists to signpost patients at risk to local smoking and alcohol services. A preventative care pathway is being piloted in around 94 practices across England.
	A wide range of preventative and screening services are commissioned through the (GP) general practitioner contract. The public health agenda is also reflected in the GP quality and outcomes framework which has a number of public health indicators, for example, reductions in smoking. Pharmacists also have a key role to play. The existing community pharmacy contract, for example, requires pharmacies to provide healthy living advice to patients and to participate in a number of public health campaigns every year.

Health

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 13 January 2014, Official Report, column 417W, on mental health, how many people his Department employs (a) in total and (b) to work on all other aspects of health policy excluding mental health.

Daniel Poulter: As at 31 December 2013, the Department employed 1,840 full-time equivalent civil servants.
	It is not possible to provide information about the specific roles or activities of individual civil servants without incurring disproportionate cost.

Health Services: Older People

Therese Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy to use health visitors in active support of the care of elderly patients to complement his aim of having a named GP responsible for the care of vulnerable patients over the age of 75.

Daniel Poulter: The role of health visitors would not routinely extend to care of the elderly. Health visitors' work focuses on pregnancy and the first years of life and childhood. However a range of other professionals will play important roles in supporting the named general practitioner (GP).
	Named GPs will be expected to work with associated health and social care professionals to deliver a multidisciplinary care package that meets the needs of the patient. In some cases this may include working with colleagues such as district nurses, who are well placed to visit patients in the community.
	Further to this, it will be the responsibility of the named GP to ensure that their patients have effective care coordination in place by the most appropriate professional for that individual's needs. GPs may be well placed to fulfil this role, but in most instances other professionals are likely to be better suited to take on the care coordination role.

Internet: Bullying

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had with the devolved Administrations on the health effects of cyber-bullying.

Norman Lamb: The Department of Health has not held discussions with the devolved Administrations on the health effects of cyber bullying.
	However, the United Kingdom Council for Child Internet Safety (UKCCIS), jointly chaired by Ministers from Department for Culture Media and Sports, Department for Education and Home Office includes representation from the devolved Administrations.

Jimmy Savile

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list all the current investigations by health establishments into the Savile abuse scandals; and what estimate he has made of when each investigation will publish their findings.

Norman Lamb: Investigations are currently taking place into the activities of Jimmy Savile relating to the following national health service hospitals:
	1. Leeds General Infirmary including St James's Hospital as it is part of the same Trust as Leeds General Infirmary
	2. Stoke Mandeville Hospital
	3. Broadmoor Hospital
	4. High Royds Psychiatric Hospital
	5. Dewsbury Hospital
	6. Great Ormond Street Hospital
	7. Moss Side Hospital previously part of Ashworth Hospital.
	8. Exeter Hospital
	9. Portsmouth Hospital
	10. St Catherine's Hospital Birkenhead
	11. Cardiff Royal Infirmary
	12. Rampton Hospital
	13. Saxondale Hospital
	14. Barnet General Hospital
	15. Booth Hall Children's Hospital
	16. De La Pole Hospital
	17. Dryburn Hospital
	18. Hammersmith Hospital
	19. Leavesden Secure Mental Hospital
	20. Marsden Hospital
	21. Maudsley Hospital
	22. North Manchester General Hospital
	23. Odstock Hospital
	24. Pinderfields Hospital
	25. Prestwich Psychiatric Hospital
	26. Queen Victoria Hospital, East Grinstead
	27. Royal Free Hospital, London
	28. Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle
	29. Seacroft Hospital, Leeds
	30. St Mary's Hospital, Carshalton
	31. Whitby Memorial Hospital
	32. Wythenshawe Hospital
	33. Woodhouse Eaves Children's Convalescent Home, Leicester
	Since the written ministerial statement on 29 November 2013, Official Report, columns 30-32, a further NHS investigation has been commissioned in relation to Woodhouse Eaves Children's Convalescent Home in Leicester. University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust is the legacy Trust conducting the investigation.
	The total number of current investigations in relation to Jimmy Savile and NHS Hospitals is now 33.
	An investigation has also been commissioned by Sue Ryder in relation to Wheatfields Hospice in Leeds.
	The final reports of all the investigations will aim to be completed by June 2014, with publication sooner if that is possible.
	Note:
	The names of the hospitals are taken from the information received from the Metropolitan Police Service. These include hospitals that may have closed in which case the information has been passed onto the legacy organisation.

Jimmy Savile

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure that the inquiries and subsequent report into health establishments involved with the Savile abuse scandal will be independent and rigorous.

Norman Lamb: It is vital that all national health service and Department of Health investigations and their reports are thorough and complete, and reflect all the evidence.
	In order to ensure the investigations are rigorous and independently scrutinised, the Secretary of State for Health appointed Kate Lampard to provide independent assurance that the Department and relevant NHS organisations' investigations are following a robust and thorough process aimed at protecting the interest of patients. Her assurance report will be published alongside the final reports from the investigations.
	To ensure that lessons are learnt, findings from all trust investigations will feed into Kate Lampard's second phase of work where she will report back on any themes emerging in relation to safeguarding, access and fundraising.

Manor Hospital Walsall

David Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when a decision will be made on the application for extra funding made by NHS Manor Hospital, Walsall arising from extra demands from patients arising from external situations.

Jane Ellison: The Department has received no application for funding from Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust in relation to such demands.

Medical Records: Databases

Debbie Abrahams: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what systems his Department has in place to monitor the number of people who have not received information leaflets about the GP extraction service.

Daniel Poulter: In January, every household in England is being sent a leaflet entitled “Better information means better care”, which explains how information from medical records is used to improve the quality of care and services for all. The leaflet also explains the choices available to patients over the use of their personal confidential data.
	NHS England is surveying a sample of households to evaluate the effectiveness of the leaflet, which includes asking whether they recall receiving the leaflet and how much of it they read. This will ensure that lessons are learnt to incorporate in future national mailings. The household leaflet, however, is only part of a comprehensive range of awareness raising activities, which also includes: leaflets and posters in every general practice in England; articles in newspapers; information on the NHS Choices website; and via social media; as well as information cascaded via 350,000 patient groups and charities.

Medical Records: Databases

Debbie Abrahams: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish the dates, agendas and minutes of any meetings Ministers and officials in his Department have had on the GP extraction service.

Daniel Poulter: The General Practice (GP) Extraction Service has been managed by NHS England in conjunction with the Health and Social Care Information Centre. The Secretary of State for Health has met with both of them on two occasions in which they outlined their proposals.
	Discussions have also taken place at the Informatics Services Commissioning Group (ISCG) which is a forum where officials meet and can discuss topics such as the GP Extraction Service. Papers and minutes of ISCG meetings are available publicly on the NHS England website at:
	www.england.nhs.uk/iscg/

Medical Records: Databases

Debbie Abrahams: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the increase in work for GPs as a result of patients having to visit their GP surgery to opt out of the GP extraction service.

Daniel Poulter: General practitioners (GPs), as data controllers, have legal responsibilities under the Data Protection Act (DPA) 1998 for ensuring that patients are aware of how their information is used and shared. This is not a new requirement and it does not relate solely to the General Practice Extraction Service. Making sure that patients understand about how their information is used is something we should all support.
	The Information Commissioner views the cost of compliance with the Data Protection Act as an information governance overhead for a GP practice, in the same way that paying an accountant is a taxation overhead. NHS England and the Health and Social Care Information Centre are actively supporting GP practices in various ways; for example, there is a patient information line that patients can call if they have questions, which will ease the burden of compliance on GP practices.

Medical Records: Databases

Debbie Abrahams: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  for what reason patients cannot opt out of the GP extraction service online;
	(2)  whether patients can opt out of the GP extraction service by telephone.

Daniel Poulter: As data controllers, it is for general practices to determine their own local process as to the different ways in which they wish to receive objections. There is no national process for patients to opt out of the General Practice Extraction Service although some practices may be happy to receive objections online or by telephone.

Mental Health

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 13 January 2014, Official Report, column 417W, on mental health, what the roles and job titles are of the 16.1 people employed to work solely on mental health policy.

Norman Lamb: The 16.1 people employed solely on mental health policy work on the mental health strategy, suicide prevention, forensic mental health, policing and mental health, mental health legislation and child and adolescent mental health. Their job titles and whole time equivalents are as follows:
	
		
			  Whole-time equivalents 
			 Deputy Director 1 
			 Senior Policy Adviser 1.5 
			 Mental Health Act Approvals Manager 1 
			 Policy Lead 2 
			 Policy Adviser 2.6 
			 Senior Policy Manager 1 
			 Policy Manager 3 
			 Mental Health Act Deputy Approvals Manager 1 
			 Mental Health Act Officer 1 
			 Policy Officer 2

Mental Health Services: Nottinghamshire

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the per capita spend on mental health services was in each primary care trust in (a) Ashfield constituency and (b) Nottinghamshire in each of the last five years; and how those figures compare to the national average in that period.

Norman Lamb: The information is not available in the format requested.
	The total reported investment in mental health services for the former Nottingham City; Nottinghamshire County and Bassetlaw Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) for working age adults in each of the last five years for which figures are available is shown in the following table. These figures are taken from surveys commissioned by the Department and provide some information covering the nature and investment for the populations of strategic health authorities (SHAs), PCTs and local authorities within England. The Department stopped commissioning this survey in 2012.
	
		
			 Total reported investment 
			 £000 
			  2011-12 2010-11 2009-10 2008-09 2007-08 
			 Nottingham City PCT 48,252 51,007 44,859 44,649 36,946 
			 Nottinghamshire County PCT 52,177 49,421 59,918 46,756 44,986 
			 Bassetlaw PCT 8,641 9,990 9,686 9,420 8,115 
		
	
	The reported investment per head of weighted working population for East Midlands SHA and the England average, for each of the last five years for which figures are available, is shown in the following table:
	
		
			 £ 
			  2011-12 2010-11 2009-10 2008-09 2007-08 
			 East Midlands SHA 189.2 186.9 188.78 174 163 
			 England average 198.3 195.9 193.4 181 169.47 
			 Notes: 1. The surveys were commissioned annually by the Department of Health from Mental Health Strategies and published on the Department's website at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/investment-in-mental-health-in-2011-to-2012-working-age-adults-and-older-adults www.gov.uk/government/publications/2010-11-working-age-adult-and-older-adult-national-survey-of-investment-in-mental-health-services 2. The survey figures are based on details submitted by each organisation on their reported investment in services and consequently, may not match actual outturn figures reported in their annual accounts. 3. The surveys were non-mandatory and include some estimated data. 4. Data cover services provided for working age adults (aged 18 to 64). Sources: National Survey of Investment in Adult Mental Health Services, Mental Health Strategies 2011-12 National Survey of Investment in Adult Mental Health Services, Mental Health Strategies 2010-11 National Survey of Investment in Adult Mental Health Services, Mental Health Strategies 2009-10 National Survey of Investment in Adult Mental Health Services, Mental Health Strategies 2008-09 National Survey of Investment in Adult Mental Health Services, Mental Health Strategies 2007-08

Minor Injuries Units

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Health in how many parliamentary constituencies there is a minor injuries unit; when each of these was established; and what recent estimate he has made of the number of patients attending minor injuries units.

Jane Ellison: The information requested is not held centrally.
	Minor injury unit fall under type 3 accident and emergency (A&E) services as do walk-in centres and urgent care centres. Information on type 3 A&E services is collected as part of the existing A&E returns; however no distinction is made between the different categories of service covered by type 3.
	It is not possible to identify the number of sites as the aggregate return only collects attendances by organisation, not by site.
	Available data shows that between week-ending 6 October 2013 and 29 December 2013 the number of people that attended a type 3 A&E department in England was 1,665,958.

Monitor

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to appoint a permanent chair of Monitor.

Jane Ellison: Baroness Hanham has been appointed as interim Chair of Monitor effective from 20 January. Her appointment is until 31 December 2014. By this time, we intend to have appointed a permanent Chair for Monitor.

Obesity

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will take steps to review the effectiveness of his policy on tackling obesity in England.

Jane Ellison: Data published last month shows that obesity prevalence has levelled off at around a quarter of the adult population and rates in children have fallen for the first time since 1998 to 14%, although rates continue to remain high.
	The Department and Public Health England are continuing to build the evidence base on effective interventions to support people in improving their health, including tackling obesity. Evaluation of current initiatives forms part of this. For example, Change4Life, which aims to inspire a social movement to prevent people becoming overweight, has a built-in programme to evaluate its effectiveness.

Obesity

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Government's Change4Life campaign to tackle obesity.

Jane Ellison: Change4Life has a peer reviewed evaluation plan. The programme has delivered significant engagement from the public and commercial sector partners. More than a million families have now joined Change4Life and a million parents say they have changed their behaviour as a result of the campaign. Data suggests that 14% of families positive behaviour scores increased significantly after one year of Change4Life support. The Health England/Matrix Knowledge Group preventative health investment tool has calculated that if the campaign produces a five percentage point improvement in the proportion of children achieving the Chief Medical Officer's recommended guidelines on physical activity, even factoring in likely over-reporting, this will result in a saving of 1.2 million Quality Adjusted Life Years.
	The evaluation plan for Change4Life is based around eight key questions. These questions give a balanced scorecard of measures against which success can be monitored.
	Has Change4Life engaged the target audience?
	Has Change4Life leveraged resources from a wider coalition?
	Does using the Change4Life brand increase the impact of interventions?
	Does Change4Life improve behaviour?
	Have the specific behaviours that Change4Life promotes improved?
	Have there been overall improvements in healthy behaviours?
	Are fewer children becoming obese?
	Does Change4Life pay for itself?
	In 2014-15 Public Health England will continue to strengthen the evaluation model by introducing new ways to measure actual behaviour change rather than rely on self-reported measures.

Obesity

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) children under 13, (b) teenagers aged 13 to 19, (c) adults aged 20 to 65 and (d) adults aged 65 and over are currently classed as obese in England.

Jane Ellison: There are no published data for the age groups requested. The following figures have been produced using data for the prevalence of obesity from the Health Survey for England 2012. This data represents the age groups as close as possible to what has been requested.
	Age 2-10: 10.6% obese (approximately 585,000 children)
	Age 11-15: 18.7% obese (approximately 588,000 children)
	Age 16-64: 23.6% obese (approximately 8.1 million adults)
	Age 65+: 29.9% obese (approximately 2.6 million adults).

Perinatal Mortality

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on issuing death certificates for babies who are still-born or who die within 24 hours of birth; and what recent representations he has received on reviewing that policy.

Daniel Poulter: The Births and Deaths Registration Act 1953, as amended by the Stillbirth Definition Act 1992, provides for the registration of all babies born dead after 24 weeks' gestation as stillbirths. There are no plans to change the definition of stillbirth which is based on the age of viability. When a baby is born dead before 24 weeks' of gestation, hospitals may issue a local certificate to commemorate the baby's birth.
	If a baby is born alive at any gestation, a birth certificate will be issued. If the baby dies within 28 days of birth, the doctor who saw the baby before death issues a certificate certifying the death. This certificate must always be issued, even if the baby lived for only a few minutes.
	A search of the Department's ministerial correspondence database has identified one item of correspondence received since 1 May 2013 about issuing death certificates for babies who are stillborn or who die within 24 hours of birth. This is a minimum figure which represents correspondence received by the Department's ministerial correspondence unit only. In addition, the issue has been raised in one private Member's Bill, one e-petition two parliamentary questions and at one ministerial meeting.

Perinatal Mortality

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his Department's policy is on reorganising and registering stillbirths before 24 weeks gestation and differentiating such births from miscarriages.

Daniel Poulter: The Births and Deaths Registration Act 1953, as amended by the Stillbirth Definition Act 1992, provides for the registration of all babies born dead after 24 weeks' gestation as stillbirths. There are no plans to change the definition of stillbirth which is based on the age of viability.
	We are guided on this issue by the clinical evidence which shows that, while there have been medical advances in caring for premature babies, only a small number of babies born at under 24 weeks gestation survive. When a baby is born dead before 24 weeks of gestation, hospitals may issue a local certificate to commemorate the baby's birth.

Radiotherapy

Tessa Munt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if NHS England has agreed a tariff for stereotactic radiosurgery with contracted providers of gamma knife; what that tariff is set at; and whether the tariff is universal for all providers.

Daniel Poulter: There is no national tariff with contracted providers of stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) for any type of delivery, whether Gamma Knife, Cyberknife, Novalis or Xknife. There are local tariffs paid by commissioners to providers of SRS services.

Spectacles: Voucher Schemes

Hywel Francis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department will review the regulations in funding whereby NHS vouchers for frames for special facial characteristics cannot be funded through high street opticians resulting in extra costs for spectacles, replacements or repairs; and if he will make a statement.

Daniel Poulter: The special facial characteristics supplement to the optical voucher is governed by regulations that date back to 1989. These regulations require that vouchers for frames for special facial characteristics be issued by the Hospital Eye Service with the original prescription. The special facial characteristics supplement is only available where the frame is required
	“to be specially manufactured on account of the person’s facial characteristics.”
	These arrangements ensure that the national health service is able to judge specific cases.
	Regulations are kept under review and changes to regulations in relation to special facial characteristics supplements would need to be beneficial to patients and cost-effective.

Training

Christopher Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which Ministers in his Department have undertaken training courses; and in the case of each such course what the (a) name of the course provider was, (b) purpose of the course was and (c) cost of each session in the course was.

Daniel Poulter: The Department has spent £500 on media training for my noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Earl Howe). The provider was Millbank Media.

Training

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 13 January 2014, Official Report, column 425W, on training, what professional coaching (a) he and (b) Ministers in his Department have received between May 2010 and January 2013; and what the cost was of that coaching.

Daniel Poulter: The Department has spent £500 on media training for my noble Friend the Parliamentary Under- Secretary of State (Earl Howe) in July 2010. To determine whether any other Ministers undertook professional coaching since May 2010 would incur disproportionate cost.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Central African Republic

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the effect of the recent influx of refugees from the Central African Republic into Chad on humanitarian efforts in that country; and what aid the Government is providing to humanitarian organisations operating in Chad.

Lynne Featherstone: Over 240,000 people have been displaced to neighbouring countries as a result of the conflict in the Central African Republic (CAR). This total includes those newly displaced in 2013, along with existing refugees who fled before the coup in March. The UN estimates that approximately 80,000 of the displaced are in Chad.
	The UK provides contributions to a number of humanitarian agencies working in Chad. A large element of this funding is supporting the World Food Programme, the International Committee of the Red Cross, UNICEF and the United Nations High Commission for Refugees in providing vital support to refugees in Chad, including those from CAR.

Developing Countries: Infant Mortality

Harriett Baldwin: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what proportion of her Department's funding has been spent on reducing preventable newborn mortality since 2010.

Lynne Featherstone: DFID is investing in 27 countries to strengthen health systems, including increasing the availability of skilled health workers and the supply of appropriate drugs to reduce newborn mortality. Specific investments include the Making it Happen Programme and the Health Partnership Scheme, which train and mentor doctors, nurses, midwives and other clinicians in emergency obstetric care. We also support other partners to improve newborn care, for example through investing in the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health.
	The UK Statistics for International Development (SID) 2007-08 to 2011-12 were published in May 2013. These are available at:
	www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-international-development/about/statistics
	The available data does not disaggregate preventable newborn mortality health expenditure.

Liberia

Anas Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps her Department is taking to reduce preventable newborn mortality in Liberia.

Lynne Featherstone: The UK is supporting the Government of Liberia in the provision of a package of free essential health services in six of the country's 13 counties. This enables health facilities to deliver a range of interventions including family planning, maternity and child health services. Preliminary 2013 figures demonstrate a significant reduction in newborn deaths from 41 to 26 per 1,000 births in the five years since DFID support commenced.

Overseas Aid

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether she plans to allocate development aid equal to 0.7 per cent of UK Gross National Income in 2014-15; and what estimate she has made of this allocation in cash terms.

Alan Duncan: At the time of the spending review in October 2010 the UK Government set budgets to deliver 0.56% of Gross National Income (GNI) as Official Development Assistance (ODA) in 2011 and 2012 and 0.7% in 2013 and 2014.
	The Government are committed to meeting the 0.7% GNI commitment in 2014 and 2015. In line with the Office for Budget Responsibility's (OBR) latest GNI forecast, the ODA expenditure required to achieve a ratio of 0.7% in 2014 estimated at £11,925 million.

Sierra Leone

Anas Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps her Department is taking to reduce preventable newborn mortality in Sierra Leone.

Lynne Featherstone: The UK is helping the Government of Sierra Leone provide a package of free reproductive, maternal and newborn health services nationwide. Between 2012 and 2015 we expect that more than 8,700 newborn deaths will have been prevented as a direct result of UK support. In addition, 480,000 more women and adolescent girls will be using a modern family planning method of their choice and 168,900 more women will deliver their babies with the assistance of a skilled birth attendant. Early monitoring data from the programme suggests that these targets may well be exceeded.

South Sudan

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps she has taken to assist the growing number of internally-displaced persons in South Sudan.

Lynne Featherstone: In 2013 DFID allocated over £60 million in humanitarian assistance to South Sudan, £19 million of which has been redirected to the current crisis. The Secretary of State announced a further £12.5 million aid package on 30 December. Through support to the International Committee of the Red Cross, non-governmental organisations and UN agencies this package can provide emergency medical treatment for up to 100,000 people in need; clean water to nearly 165,000 people; and shelter for 60,000 people who have fled their homes. It will also support the logistics of the humanitarian effort through support to the UN's Humanitarian Air Service.
	In addition, on 5 January a UK-funded emergency relief flight carrying life-saving water and sanitation equipment landed in South Sudan to help avert a potential health crisis emerging amidst the conflict. Through trusted partners, we are monitoring closely the situation on the ground and stand ready to provide further assistance as required.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Artworks: Export Controls

Harriet Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 16 December 2013, Official Report, column 429W, on art works: export controls, how many of the objects culturally-deferred were from Scottish sellers.

Edward Vaizey: holding answer 17 January 2014
	Applications for the export of cultural objects from the UK do not include details of the nationality of the seller.

Buildings

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which buildings occupied by her Department are owned or part-owned privately; what the total value is of the rent paid to private landlords for the use of such buildings for official duties; and to whom such rent is paid.

Helen Grant: The Department occupies 179a Queen's Yard, Tottenham Court Road, London under a lease with Lazari Investments. The Department sublets part of the building to a private tenant. DCMS pays an annual rent of £786,000 (including VAT) and receives a rental income from the tenant of £382,722.

Digital Broadcasting: Radio

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate she has made of the number of people who do not have DAB radio receivers; and what steps she plans to take to assist consumers with the costs of acquiring such receivers before a digital radio switchover takes place.

Edward Vaizey: These data are collected and published quarterly by RAJAR Ltd (Radio Joint Audience Research). In Q3 2013, 45.2% of the adult population had a DAB radio set at home (or 24 million adults), up 10% year on year.
	It is important that the transition to digital is consumer led and a decision about the timetable for a future switchover will only be considered once the listening criteria and coverage criteria have been met. That is the point at which the Government would need to consider the case for assisting consumers.

Food and Drink Federation

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many meetings representatives of the Food and Drink Federation have attended with (a) Ministers and (b) officials in her Department in each year since 2010.

Helen Grant: holding answer 17 January 2014
	A list of ministerial meetings since May 2010 is available on the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) Transparency website, which can be found at this web address:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/meetings

Gaming Machines

Clive Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to her oral statement on fixed odds betting terminals on 8 January 2014, Official Report, column 378 
	(1)  if, in the event that betting shop operators fail to develop a plan by the end of January 2014 to link players with play in a way that allows a better understanding of player behaviour, she will introduce precautionary player protection; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  at what level she plans to introduce a cap on voluntary limits for stakes on FOBT machines; and if she will make a statement;
	(3)  what steps she is taking to ensure that the review of B category gaming machines by the Responsibility in Gambling Trust has the data required to make recommendations on stakes and prizes; and if she will make a statement;
	(4)  how she plans to assess whether precautionary player protection proposals are likely to reduce harm from gambling on FOBT in betting shops; and if she will make a statement.

Helen Grant: holding answer 17 January 2014
	The Government have made clear that further precautionary measures will be introduced on fixed odds betting terminals if the industry fails to implement its player protection measures, if it does not share data for independent research, or if the balance of evidence indicates that further action is required. The new industry-led player protection measures are being introduced from 1 March and will provide new controls on gaming machines, allow players to set voluntary limits on time and spend within the limits of existing regulations.
	The industry must demonstrate to the Government the effectiveness of these and other measures that build on them as soon as possible. The Government have demanded the industry develops a tangible plan to better understand player behaviour by the end of January, in order to assess the effectiveness of player protection measures in reducing harm, and to support the Responsible Gambling Trust's ongoing research programme into category B gaming machines. The Government are urgently working to address the problems that can be caused by fixed odds betting terminals and are prepared to take whatever action the evidence suggests is necessary.

Mobile Phones

Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what her policy is on reform of the regulatory appeals system relating to mobile contract switching to reduce the length and cost of the process.

Edward Vaizey: holding answer 17 January 2014
	The Government carried out a consultation last year on options for reform to streamline regulatory and competition appeals and the consultation can be found at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/regulatory-and-competition-appeals-options-for-reform
	The consultation closed on 11 September 2013 and the Government are considering responses received, with a view to issuing a response early in 2014.

Mobile Phones

Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the case for introducing a gaining-provider-led system for mobile contract switching.

Edward Vaizey: holding answer 17 January 2014
	I recognise that switching processes work better for consumers when only one call needs to be made to the company the consumer wishes to switch to for the switch to happen, and there is no need for consumers to contact their existing provider (so called ‘gaining-provider led’ switching). We have committed to work with Ofcom to move towards a system of gaining-provider led switching where we can.

Mobile Phones

Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when mobile spectrum fees were last increased; and what her policy is on future such increases.

Edward Vaizey: The spectrum fees in the current 900 MHz and 1800 MHz mobile licences have remained unchanged since 2002. As the independent communications regulator, it is for Ofcom to determine the level of fees payable for commercial spectrum users, taking into account relevant impacts. The Government directed Ofcom in December 2010 to revise the fees paid for licences to use spectrum in the 900MHz and 1800MHz bands following the auction of licences to use the 800MHz and 2.6GHz bands so as to reflect full market value. The Statutory Instrument making this direction was accompanied by an impact assessment which is available at:
	http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2010/3024/impacts
	The winners of the auction were announced on 20 February 2013 with the licences granted on 1 March 2013. On 10 October 2013 Ofcom published its proposals for revising these spectrum licence fees; the consultation closed 16 January.

Mobile Phones

Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the effect of increased mobile spectrum fees on the ability of providers to meet coverage targets and continue investment in (a) remote and (b) other areas.

Edward Vaizey: As the independent communications regulator, it is for Ofcom to determine the level of fees payable for commercial spectrum users, taking into account relevant impacts. The Government directed Ofcom in December 2010 to revise the fees paid for licences to use spectrum in the 900MHz and 1800MHz bands so that they reflect the full market value of the frequencies in those bands, having particular regard to the sums bid for the 800 MHz and 2.6 GHz spectrum in the current auction. (See The Wireless Telegraphy Act 2006 (Directions to OFCOM) Order 2010, SI 2010/3024). On 10 October 2013 Ofcom published its proposals for revising these spectrum licence fees; the consultation closed 16 January. In coming to its final decision on the revised fees to be paid, Ofcom will take full account of all the responses to this consultation. In this, as in all its activities in relation to communications, it is the principal duty of Ofcom to further the interests of citizens and of consumers.

Television: Licensing

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many people were fined for not holding a television licence in (a) Havering and (b) the UK in 2013.

Edward Vaizey: The statistics for the number of people fined for not holding a television licence in the UK in 2013 are compiled by the Ministry of Justice. They will be published on the Ministry of Justice website in May 2014. The published figures will not be broken down into specific areas or constituencies.

Tour de France

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether she plans to visit Yorkshire to discuss the planning for the 2014 Tour de France.

Helen Grant: holding answer 17 January 2014
	I met with the chair and chief executive of TdF Hub 2014 Ltd on 20 November 2013 and I am delighted with the progress being made to deliver this year's Grand Depart in Yorkshire. I will, of course, be visiting Yorkshire in advance of what we expect to be a successful event.

Tour de France

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what Government funding has been allocated to ensure that the 2014 Tour de France provides maximum benefit to the Yorkshire economy.

Helen Grant: holding answer 17 January 2014
	The Government has agreed to provide up to £10 million to the 2014 Tour De France to deliver a safe and successful road race in Yorkshire. In addition, the Arts Council England has announced £1 million to support a cultural festival in Yorkshire, and Sport England funding is available, via British Cycling, to ensure a strong sporting legacy from the event.

UN Commission on the Status of Women

Lorely Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which representatives of the UK Government will attend the Commission on the Status of Women in March 2014.

Helen Grant: holding answer 17 January 2014
	The Minister for Women and Equalities, my right hon. Friend the Member for Basingstoke (Maria Miller), the Secretary of State for International Development, the Under-Secretary of State for International Development, the hon. Member for Hornsey and Wood Green (Lynne Featherstone), and I are due to attend the Commission on the Status of Women in March 2014.

War Graves: Hartlepool

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what funds her Department has made available to repair First World War graves in the graveyard of St Mary Magdalene's Church in Hart Village; and if she will make statement.

Helen Grant: The Heritage Lottery Fund is having constructive discussions about the re-submission of an application which includes the conservation of six first world war graves in St Mary Magdalene Churchyard, Hart. On 19 December the Prime Minister announced new Government funding of £5 million that will help conserve, repair and protect first world war memorials and burial sites across the UK and overseas. Consideration is being given currently to how this money should be allocated. This will be in addition to the funding given to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, 78% of which is derived from the UK Government.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Electoral Register

Stephen Twigg: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will assess any potential effect on (a) credit ratings and (b) jury composition of the implementation of individual electoral registration.

Greg Clark: The Government are safeguarding the completeness and accuracy of the register in the transition to individual electoral registration by using data matching to confirm the vast majority of existing electors.
	To ensure that credit ratings and jury composition are unaffected, those people who are not automatically matched will be invited to apply, and then reminded and visited by a canvasser, both in 2014 and 2015. In addition, the Government are making registration more accessible by introducing online registration and providing additional resources at a national and local level to fund activities to boost the completeness and accuracy of the register.

Lords-Lieutenant: Durham

Kevan Jones: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much the Office of the Lord Lieutenancy in County Durham paid in rental costs for its offices for each year since 2010.

Greg Clark: This information is not held centrally.

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Bank Services

Christopher Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills with what bank his Department’s bank overdraft is held; and what fees and charges were payable on the core Department’s bank overdraft in the last financial year.

Jennifer Willott: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills uses the Government banking service facility. The Department’s cash is carefully managed ensuring that a credit balance is maintained and therefore no overdraft fees or charges were incurred in the last financial year.

Buildings

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills which buildings occupied by his Department are owned or part-owned privately; what the total value is of the rent paid to private landlords for the use of such buildings for official duties; and to whom such rent is paid.

Jennifer Willott: The following table shows the buildings occupied by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills which are owned or part-owned privately:
	
		
			 Buildings occupied by BIS which are owned or part-owned privately To whom rent is paid Rent paid per annum (£) + VAT 
			 1 Victoria Street, London, SW1H 0ET Paternoster Associates Ltd. c/o MEC UK Ltd, London EC2V 7DA 9,170,000 
			 Alexandra House, Lawnswood Business Park, Leeds, LS16 6QY JCAM Commercial Real Estates Property II Ltd, St Helier, JE2 4YE c/o Workman, Alliance House, Caxton Street, London SW1H 0QS 95,617 
			 Apex Court, City Link, Nottingham, NG2 4LA Sherwood Properties, Nottingham, NG5 1EG 571,226 
			 Kemp House, City Road, London, EC1V 2NP Beckman Property Investments Ltd, London, E1W 1YW 58,110 
			 The Business Centre, Station Road, Histon, CB4 9LQ Company of Biologists Ltd, Bidder Building, 140 Cowley Road, Cambridge 192,000 
			 Victoria Square House, Birmingham, B2 4AJ Friends First Managed Pension Fund, Loughlinstown, Dublin 18, c/o GVA, PO Box 8790, Birmingham, B1 2JJ 442,760

Disabled Students' Allowances

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will introduce an online claim facility for disabled students' allowance.

David Willetts: The Students Loan Company, which administers disabled students allowances for students domiciled in England, is in the process of reforming the way it delivers student support. This will deliver a streamlined, more customer-focused and more efficient service for students. No final decisions have been made on the individual elements of the programme, but improving the administration of disabled students’ allowances is a priority.

Electronic Equipment: Recycling

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate his Department has made of the proportion of waste household electrical products that is repairable.

Michael Fallon: The Department has not made such an estimate. In 2011 research by the Waste Resources Action Programme (WRAP) estimated that 23% of the waste, electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) separately collected at household waste sites could be re-used with a small amount of repair.
	BIS supports efforts to increase re-use and has developed PAS 141, a specification for the successful preparation of WEEE for reuse.
	Under DEFRA's Waste Prevention Programme, published in December 2013, DEFRA and BIS have agreed to:
	work with local authority collection facilities encouraging them to explore opportunities for re-use; and
	work with the industry to explore how individual producer responsibility can be implemented. This enables businesses to benefit when they design and manufacture products which can be more easily re-used, repaired and recycled.

Engineering Skills Review

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 13 January 2014, Official Report, column 374W, on Perkins Engineering Review, whether he plans to make a formal response to the review.

Matthew Hancock: On 10 December 2013, Official Report, column 56WH, during the debate on the implementation of Professor John Perkins' Review of Engineering Skills, I said that I would write to my hon. Friend the Member for Mid Worcestershire (Sir Peter Luff), setting out in detail the Government response to all 22 of the recommendations, and that I would make public a copy of the letter. I will place a copy of that letter in the Libraries of both Houses.

Flexible Working

Lucy Powell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the number of flexible working requests which were refused by (a) gender, (b) age and (c) regional location of the applicant in the last year for which figures are available.

Jennifer Willott: The latest Work-life Balance Employee Survey shows the following on refusals to grant requests to change working arrangements:
	
		
			  Percentage whose request to change working arrangements was rejected 
			 Gender  
			 Female 10 
			 Male 18 
			   
			 Age  
			 16-39 12 
			 40-49 18 
			 50+ 11 
			   
			 Region1  
			 South 14 
			 North 16 
			 Midlands 8 
			 1 Base counts for Scotland and Wales too low for reliable estimates. Base: Employees who had made a request to change their working arrangements in the last two years. Source: Fourth Work-life Balance Employee Survey, BIS, July 2012. 
		
	
	As this is a survey, the proportions should be considered as approximately the same. The exception to this is gender, where males are more likely to be refused their request, relative to females.
	The Fourth Work-life Balance Employee Survey was published by BIS in July 2012 and can be found on gov.uk.

Flexible Working

Lucy Powell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the number and proportion of (a) men and (b) women in the UK workforce who made flexible working requests in the last year for which figures are available.

Jennifer Willott: The latest Work-life Balance Employee Survey shows that in 2011, 28% of female employees and 17% of male employees had made a request to change their working arrangements in the past two years.
	The Fourth Work-life Balance Employee Survey was published by BIS in July 2012 and can be found on gov.uk.

Holidays: Prices

Richard Graham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment his Department has made of the possibility of collusion between travel companies and airlines when setting prices for school holiday dates; and if he will make a statement.

Jennifer Willott: The Department for Business, innovation and Skills has not made any assessment of the possibility of collusion between travel companies and airlines when setting prices for school holiday dates.
	Evidence of anti-competitive practices by airlines can be presented to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and evidence of anti-competitive practices by travel companies can be presented to the Office of Fair Trading (OFT). The CAA and OFT have significant powers to investigate and act if they find a company or group of companies abusing a dominant position or behaving anti-competitively.

Holidays: Prices

Richard Graham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what research his Department has commissioned into reasons for price differentials charged by airlines and travel companies during (a) school holidays and (b) term times.

Jennifer Willott: The Government have commissioned no research into price differentials charged by airlines and travel companies during the school holidays and term times. The Government are aware that prices increase at times of peak demand where there is limited supply. In respect of holidays abroad, UK holiday organisers compete with organisers from other countries. Consumers also wish to holiday during the peak periods. The holiday industry maintains that, in general, the sector relies on profits from the peak periods to enable it to trade throughout the year.

Manufacturing Industries

Bob Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of trends in the level of manufacturing activity in (a) Coventry, (b) the west midlands and (c) England in each of the last three years; and what assessment he has made of future capacity in that sector.

Michael Fallon: Figures on employment and output (in terms of gross value added) for manufacturing in Coventry, the west midlands and England are contained in the following table. Gross value added data for 2012 are only currently available at the whole UK level.
	While the Department and the wider Government has many plans to promote and improve the environment for manufacturing businesses, there have been no official forecasts made of manufacturing performance or capacity.
	
		
			 Manufacturing employment and gross value added 
			  Employment (Thousand) Gross value added (£ million) 
			 Coventry   
			 2009 16.1 714 
			 2010 14.9 687 
			 2011 14.4 699 
			 2012 14.6 — 
			    
			 West midlands   
			 2009 302 11,948 
			 2010 299 12,872 
			 2011 290 13,368 
			 2012 292 — 
			    
			 England   
			 2009 2,211 109,323 
		
	
	
		
			 2010 2,159 115,116 
			 2011 2,142 116,980 
			 2012 2,153 —

Minimum Wage

Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to improve compliance in paying the (a) apprentice rate, (b) youth development rate and (c) 16 to 17 rate of the national minimum wage.

Matthew Hancock: The Government take the enforcement of the national minimum wage (NMW) very seriously. HMRC review every single complaint from workers, including apprentices, youth workers and 16 to 17-year-olds.
	In addition, the Government are toughening up on enforcement of the NMW. The revised NMW naming and shaming scheme which came into effect on 1 October 2013 made it easier to name employers that break national minimum wage law. By naming and shaming employers, it is hoped that bad publicity will be an additional deterrent to employers who would otherwise be tempted not to pay the NMW. We anticipate naming employers very soon. The Government also announced that we will be increasing the NMW financial penalty in February 2014 subject to regulations receiving parliamentary approval.
	The Government have also stepped up their communication activity to increase the level of awareness of the minimum wage rules across the board, including young people and apprentices. This is to help employers avoid falling foul of minimum wage rules unwittingly, and ensure that individuals are well-informed about their minimum wage eligibility.
	At a more targeted level, we are addressing non-compliance in other ways for apprentices due to our concern about the level of employer non-compliance with the NMW rules for apprentices. We are ensuring that complaints from apprentices are prioritised by HMRC.
	In addition, in England, I am writing to each new apprentice on a Government-funded apprenticeship, setting out what they can expect from their apprenticeship—this includes information on NMW entitlement. We have also ensured that information on the NMW rules is included in the information packs that the National Apprenticeship Service (NAS) issues to prospective apprenticeship employers.
	Anyone not receiving the minimum wage that they are legally entitled to should call the pay and work rights helpline on 0800 917 2368.

Parental Leave

Lucy Powell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the number of (a) women and (b) men who (i) did and (ii) did not return to work after taking maternity or paternity leave in the last year for which figures are available.

Jennifer Willott: The latest Maternity and Paternity Rights and Women Returners Survey shows that in 2009-10, 77% of mothers who had worked before the birth of their child returned to work. This was between 12 and 18 months of the birth of their child.
	The survey does not report on the percentage of fathers who return to work after paternity leave.
	The Maternity and Paternity Rights and Women Returners Survey was published in 2011 by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Department for Work and Pensions. It can be found on gov.uk.

Parental Leave

Lucy Powell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when he expects to publish a further impact assessment for the Government's revised shared parental leave and pay proposals.

Jennifer Willott: The Impact Assessment for Shared Parental Leave and Pay was published on the 25 February 2013 alongside publication of the Shared Parental Leave Administration consultation. The published document is located here:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/110692/13-651-modern-workplaces-shared-parental-leave-and-pay-impact-assessment2.pdf
	The document will be republished alongside Royal Assent of the Children and Families Bill and will be revised, as necessary, to take account of any amendments to the provisions as a result of the passage of the Bill through Parliament.

Parents: Surveys

Lucy Powell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when the next Maternity and Paternity Rights and Women Returners Survey between his Department and the Department for Work and Pensions will be (a) commissioned, (b) collected and (c) published.

Jennifer Willott: The Government intend to conduct an evaluation of the new system of Shared Parental Leave after its introduction. It is anticipated that the next survey in the Maternity and Paternity Rights series will be commissioned as part of this work. The exact timing of the survey has yet to be decided.

Procurement

Christopher Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much and what proportion of the Department's procurement was conducted using e-procurement tools in each of the last three financial years; and what the value of such contracts was.

Jennifer Willott: The Department for Business Innovation and Skills has not made any direct procurement using e-procurement in the last three financial years (2010-11, 2011-12 and 2012-13). However, following the outsourcing of departmental procurement actions to UK Shared Business Services Ltd (UKSBS) as part of a wider shared service contract the introduction of e-procurement tools is currently taking place.
	UKSBS is working closely with the Government Procurement Service (GPS) and GPS has introduced a range of e-Procurement tools to improve procurement efficiency and facilitate savings across all Government Departments. These include:
	An e-Sourcing suite—Used to run further competitions under framework agreements, to run procurements that must be published in the Official Journal of the European Union, and to undertake industry consultations and buyer surveys for early market engagement.
	Government e-Marketplace—Provides easy access to centralised deals via online catalogues (GPS's framework agreements and other Departments' contracts) and allows customers to place orders; provides an optional facility for complete transactional and integration functionality with e-Invoicing.
	Dynamic Marketplace—Used by customers to tender for non-complex and low-value procurements below the OJEU threshold.

Students: Loans

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  what recent discussions, either oral or in writing, he has had with the Scottish Government regarding future sales of the student loan book;
	(2)  with reference to the Autumn Statement 2013, Cm 8747, paragraph 2.16, what response he has received from the Scottish Government to the Government's proposal for future sales of the student loan book.

David Willetts: Officials in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills have regular meetings with Scottish Government officials on the student loans portfolio. Scottish Ministers have decided not to participate in the current Income Contingent Repayment loan sale.

Students: Loans

Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the value of student loans for (a) tuition and (b) maintenance that will be issued in each of the next 10 years.

David Willetts: In the 2014-15 financial year the estimated loan outlay is (a) £7 billion for tuition fee loans and (b) £4 billion for maintenance loans. Estimates for 2015-16 onwards are still to be finalised.

Telephone Services

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills with reference to the Cabinet Office Guidance for Customer Service Helplines, published on 26 December 2013, when his Department expects to comply with the instruction set out in that guidance that non-geographic 084 numbers should by default use the 03 prefix.

Jennifer Willott: All but one of the Departments public facing 0845 numbers have had their 03 equivalents activated. The last number will be activated by 1 March 2014.

UK Trade & Investment: West Midlands

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans he has to increase the number of UK Trade & Investment staff in the West Midlands.

Michael Fallon: There are no plans to increase the number of staff directly employed by UK Trade & Investment in the west midlands. There are currently 39 international trade advisers in the region including three additional advisers appointed in 2012 and six additional advisers appointed in 2013.

UK Trade & Investment: West Midlands

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what financial support UK Trade & Investment West Midlands received from the Government in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2013.

Michael Fallon: UK Trade & Investment West Midlands received the following amounts for trade work: £2,782,400 in 2010-11, £3,294,000 in 2011-12 and £4,679,100 in 2013-14.

UK Trade & Investment: West Midlands

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many UK Trade & Investment employees in the West Midlands were focused on attracting inward investment to Shropshire in (a) 2010, (b) 2012 and (c) 2013.

Michael Fallon: UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) resource tasked with attracting inward investment is divided between the UK and priority markets overseas, There were 34 priority markets in 2010 and 2012. In 2013, these rose to 40.
	Figures for the regional development agency responsible for the west midlands in 2010 are not available.
	UKTI investment resource in the UK and priority markets overseas is responsible for supporting inward investment to the UK and promoting UK capability at the national, regional and local level. In 2012 and 2013 no employees were deployed on a county by county basis within England.

UK Trade & Investment: West Midlands

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the value was of exports from UK Trade & Investment-assisted projects in Shropshire in (a) 2010, (b) 2012 and (c) 2008.

Michael Fallon: Official trade statistics published by the ONS and HMRC cannot identify the value of exports from UKTI assisted projects.
	Official data on the value of trade are not available at sub-regional or county level. Trade in goods data at regional level is published by HMRC in the Regional Trade Statistics release. This includes data on the value of goods exports in the west midlands region. The latest release is available at:
	https://www.uktradeinfo.com/Statistics/RTS/Pages/default.aspx

UK Trade & Investment: West Midlands

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many overseas trade delegations UK Trade & Investment West Midlands organised for Shropshire firms in (a) 2008, (b) 2010 and (c) 2012.

Michael Fallon: UK Trade & Investment West Midlands organised five trade missions in 2008/09, nine in 2010/11 and 13 in 2012/13. All of these visits were open to companies from Shropshire. As well as regionally organised missions, companies from Shropshire are also able to participate in a wide range of sector focused missions organised by UK Trade & Investment.